The Average Dental Office Manager Salary

Are you wondering what the average dental office manager salary is?

Whether you’re currently a dental office manager or are considering the profession, knowing how much these professionals make can help you stay informed. 

Read on to learn how much dental office managers make, and if you are one, how you can increase your salary.

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How Much Does a Dental Office Manager Make?

According to Glassdoor, the national salary average for a dental office manager in the United States is $53,713 per year. This figure encompasses an average base pay of $50,017 per year and an additional pay of $3,696.

This same source estimates that the average starting salary for this role is closer to $51,540, while a professional with more than 15 years of experience can expect to make upwards of $75,559 annually. 

A salary of $53,713 for a dental office manager who works 40 hours per week breaks down to an average hourly pay of $25.82. 

While the national average dental office manager salary in the United States is close to $53,000, different states have different salary ranges for office manager jobs. For example, in New York City, the median salary for a dental office manager is $64,758. In San Francisco, the same office manager could make $66,062. 

Of course, this figure also does not include benefits that can increase the value of working in this role. 

To provide context, let’s compare the average dental office manager’s salary to the average compensation for other managers:

• Product manager: $102,219
• Human resources manager: $74,731
• Information technology manager: $99,745
• Project manager: $78,948
• United States Department of Homeland Security manager: $103,927
• Social Security Administration manager: $113,317

Additionally, here are the average salaries for other dental employees:

• Dental hygienist: $90,346 
• Dentist: $187,324
• Dental assistant: $38,842
• Dental technicians: $41,842

Optimize your practice’s financial health. Read The State of Healthcare & Private Practices report to benchmark your overhead and growth.

What Are the Duties of a Dental Office Manager?

Dental office managers perform numerous duties within a dental clinic. Like many office managers, dental office managers are responsible for overseeing day-to-day activities within the clinic. These professionals perform the following duties:

• Scheduling appointments for patients
• Managing insurance claims
• Supervising office staff
• Ordering supplies
• Managing financial processes
• Overseeing employee payroll

Dental office managers must exhibit the following soft and technical skills within their roles:

• Leadership skills
• Computer skills (especially in dental software)
• Organizational skills
• Customer service skills
• Knowledge of safety regulations

How a Dental Office Manager Can Increase Their Salary

The average salary estimates we listed above do not represent the salary range for every dental office manager. Numerous factors can affect an employee’s salary. 

If you’re a dental office manager looking to increase your pay, you can take a few steps to improve your value to your healthcare practice. Here are a few ways to increase your compensation as an office manager:

Training and Certifications

Often, the more training and certifications a dental office manager has, the higher their salary. When dental managers receive extra training, they acquire skills that allow them to take more workload off the owner of the practice. As a result, their roles are more valuable within the dental clinic. 

As a dental office manager, you can consider taking classes in the following areas to boost your skill level:

• Office Manager 101
• Basic Dental Terminology
• Insurance Essentials
• Payroll Management

You can find free courses in these areas online or check with a local community college for accredited courses. 

If your current employer will not consider increasing your pay with training, you can instead use these courses as leverage when searching for new job openings. Reference the new position’s job description and detail specific training and certifications you have taken in those areas. 

Added Value/Revenue to Practice

If you want to negotiate a higher salary with your boss, consider steps you can take to add value to the practice or increase its revenue. 

For example, you can take measures to attract or retain patients. 

The best way to attract patients is through marketing. In this modern age, digital marketing strategies often outperform traditional ones. Using social media, search engines, and emails to your advantage can help you target new customers and bring them into your dental practice. 

Meanwhile, you can retain patients by reminding them to schedule routine cleanings, wishing them happy birthday, calling to check in after appointments, and offering exceptional dental services. 

These techniques do not need to require more work on your part. On the contrary, implementing solutions to automate marketing and retention can save you time in the long run. For instance, you can incorporate patient automation software that automatically sends emails and texts to patients. 

Healthcare staff is often overworked and understaffed, but you can increase your value as the office manager by reducing their workload. 

Time and Experience

Often, salary raises simply come with time and experience. 

Many dental practices offer annual reviews in which staff can receive raises based on their performance from the previous year. If your dental clinic offers yearly raises, you can expect your salary to increase over time. You may not reach the highest salary for ten years or more. 

Additionally, more experienced dental office managers offer more value to their employers. Those with ten years of experience in office management can expect to start with higher salaries than those with a lower experience level.

Final Thoughts 

If you have worked as a dental office manager for several years and your compensation has never increased, consider meeting with your employer to ask for a raise. If your efforts are unsuccessful, it may be time to look for a new job opportunity. You can use platforms like Glassdoor and Indeed to filter by job type and job title and set up a job alert for “Dental Office Manager” roles in your area. 

But before you give up on your current role, consider implementing patient automation software like Weave. Request your free Weave demo today to learn how our platform can add value to your dental care practice. 

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