Orthodontist salary in Washington, D.C.
Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
The verified BLS median orthodontist in the Washington, D.C. metro earns $248,110 ($119.29/hr). Washington, D.C. pays roughly 14% below the national median of $289,140.
Orthodontist pay in Washington, D.C.: the analysis
At a verified median of $248,110, orthodontists in Washington, D.C. earn notably below the U.S. median of $289,140 — a gap of about 14%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports orthodontist pay, Washington, D.C. ranks 320th.
Compared with District of Columbia as a whole (median $335,400), Washington, D.C. pays orthodontists about 26% less than the statewide median. Local demand, cost of labor, and the mix of practices drive most of that difference.
The pay range is wide: the lowest-paid tenth of orthodontists in this metro area earn around $98,300, while the top tenth earn $403,620 or more — a spread of about $305,320. That gap reflects experience, practice setting, and local demand more than any single factor, so an individual offer can sit well above or below the midpoint.
Within Washington, D.C., a orthodontist earns about 1.3× what a general dentist earns, about 2.1× what a dental hygienist earns and about 5.2× what a dental assistant earns ($184,540, $119,170, $47,540 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Orthodontist pay distribution — Washington, D.C. (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $98,300 |
| 25th percentilei | $248,110 |
| Median (50th)i | $248,110 |
| 75th percentilei | $347,620 |
| 90th percentilei | $403,620 |
| Mean (average)i | $285,910 |
District of Columbia context
District of Columbia modeled median: $335,400.
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How much does a orthodontist make in Washington, D.C.?
The verified BLS OEWS median orthodontist in the Washington, D.C. metro earns about $248,110 ($119.29/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Washington, D.C. orthodontist pay compare to District of Columbia overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Washington, D.C. metro median is about $248,110, versus the modeled District of Columbia statewide median of about $335,400.
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