Money · 1 of 5
What orthodontists make
Median
$289,140
Bottom tenth
$99,850
Top tenth
$416,000
The national median is $289,140 a year, and the bottom tenth sit near $99,850. One warning about these numbers: the federal survey counts people who are paid a wage. Plenty of orthodontists own their practice and take the profits instead, so they are missing from the count.