Home Orthodontist Salary
Orthodontist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an orthodontist is $166,400 per annum, before tax, up $35,500 since 2018.
How an orthodontist is paid depends heavily on how the practice is set up: a principal or partner draws a share of practice profit, while an associate usually works on a percentage of billings or a salary. Salaried posts in public dental services and universities sit at the other end of that range. Patient numbers, treatment mix and what the practice spends on staff and technology shape take-home pay more than years of experience.
Roles that pay more than orthodontist
The largest typical pay rise is $1,700 a year, moving into Dentist.
- Dentist+$1,700/yr
How to negotiate a higher orthodontist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time orthodontist salary is $166,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Orthodontists are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Clinical assessment and treatment and Patient care and support tend to command a premium over general orthodontist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Dentist pays a typical $1,700 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Orthodontist salary questions
How much do orthodontists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an orthodontist is $166,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is orthodontist pay rising or falling?
The median orthodontist salary is up $35,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than orthodontist?
Dentist pays a typical $1,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to orthodontist.