AADOM LIVEcast: 2023 Front Office Salary Report

Approved for 1 CE towards AADOM Designations when viewed in AADOM’s Learning Management System. 

AADOM Members log in HERE to watch the recording and accrue CE.

2023 Dental Salary Survey: Front Office Report

DentalPost’s 2023 Salary Survey Report is out now and highlights the state of the industry for dental office managers and their teams. In its fourth year, the industry’s most comprehensive survey reveals insights from nearly 15,000 dental professionals, including nearly 2,000 dental practice managers, billing specialists, and front desk associates.

From compensation to job turnover, we highlight what practice managers and their front office teams had to say about their pay, benefits, bonuses, career plans and more.

Salaries and hourly rates increased for all front office positions, and AADOM distinction was correlated with higher wages

This year’s survey points to rising income across all front office positions – and with it, a rise in income satisfaction.  Notably, office managers and team members with AADOM distinction reported higher pay.

A look at hourly and annual income by position

Dental Office Manager Income

The average hourly pay for responding dental practice managers increased by 4.5% year-over-year (YOY)—from $28.32 in 2021 to $29.56 in 2022.

Of the responding dental office managers, 12% reported having AADOM Fellowship, Mastership or Diplomat distinction. The average hourly wage of this group of respondents is 7% higher than the average for all office managers.

The average total income of responding office managers rose by 5.5% YOY, from $62,750 in 2021 to $67,490 in 2022. Respondents who hold AADOM distinctions reported average full-time incomes that are 10% higher than the average income of all office managers.

Billing Specialist Income

Billing specialists saw their average hourly wages increase 13% YOY —from $21.60 in 2021 to $24.50 in 2022. The 2.5% of billing specialists with AADOM Distinction reported an average hourly wage of $29.50 in 2022—20% higher than the average wage of all billing specialists!

Billing specialists’ average full-time income increased by 9.5% YOY — from $44,500 in 2021 to $49,380 in 2022. The 2.5% of billing specialists with AADOM Distinction reported an average income of $57,835—17% higher than the average income of all billing specialists.

Front Office Associate/Front Desk Receptionist Income 

YOY comparison of average hourly wages indicates an increase of 6.5% in private practices—from $21.82 in 2021 to $23.28 in 2022, and 7% in corporate practices from $20.00 in 2021 to $21.55 in 2022. The 2.75% of front office associates with AADOM Distinction reported an average hourly rate of $28.00 in 2022 (20% higher than the average hourly rate of all front office associates).

YOY comparison of average full-time income indicates an increase of 8.5% in private practices—from $39,850 in 2021 to $43,265 in 2022, and 5.25% in corporate practices—from $39,765 in 2021 to $41,840 in 2022. The 2.75% of front office associates with AADOM Distinction reported an average income of $51,055 in 2022 (22% higher than the average income of all front office associates).

Overall satisfaction with compensation rose

The number of front office team members reporting they felt “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their total compensation rose to 52% in this year’s report, compared with just 37% of respondents feeling satisfied with their pay one year ago. In addition to improved salaries and hourly wages, we also saw an increase in the number of front office respondents now receiving one or more of the top 8 benefits. This likely contributed to improved satisfaction with overall compensation.

A growing number of front office team members asked for a raise. Here’s what happened…

Nearly 38% of responding front office team members took steps to discuss a pay raise with their employer or supervisor. Their efforts were met with mixed results:

Despite improvements in pay and benefits, high turnover is expected on front office teams

According to the survey, 39% of full-time and 42% of part-time front office associates reported they are actively applying or considering new job opportunities – with some even looking to exit the dental industry altogether. In addition, 19% of practice managers and 29% of billing specialists are actively looking or planning to look for new jobs this year.

In 2022:

• 23% of office managers applied for jobs, and 9% changed employers. The order of their top 3 motivators was “better pay,” “a more positive work environment,” and “a new type of position.”
• 35% of billing specialists applied for jobs, and 18% changed employers. The order of their top 3 motivators was “a more positive work environment,” “better pay,” and “better location.”
• 42% of front office associates applied for jobs, and 21% changed employers. The order of their top 3 motivators was “better pay,” “a more positive work environment,” and a “new type of position.”
• The fourth highest motivator for job changes across all front office positions was “a more appreciative employer.”
• “Better benefits” and “better hours” motivated less than 5% of the front office job changes.

So, what can dental employers do to attract and retain talent?

Employers who will be most successful in keeping their best team members and attracting new dental professionals are both proactive and competitive. Here’s how dental practices can get ahead of hiring challenges to keep their best players and attract new team members:

Offer competitive compensation. The cost of replacing an employee can be up to two times their total annual salary when you factor in intangible costs, including the cost of disruption on the team and to production schedules. Proactively addressing salary and compensation discussions can be key to circumventing unnecessary turnover and mitigating the costs of recruiting and hiring.

Conduct stay interviews. When done effectively, a stay interview is an open, honest conversation where team members feel safe communicating their desires and disappointments. Embracing team members’ grievances, expressing gratitude, and providing positive feedback are key to making changes for the better of your practice and office culture. This kind of exchange helps retention and fosters greater trust.

Keep close communication going throughout the year. Establish a consistent schedule of one-on-one dialogues with your direct reports, and coach your team supervisors to do this also. In these conversations, be specific about your gratitude and recognition of team members’ efforts. Discuss what’s important and what measures are needed to support one another for the mutual success of the team, the practice, and the individual.

For a comprehensive look at pay, benefits, bonuses, and work conditions by position, view the full 2023 Dental Salary Survey Report here.

Tonya Lanthier, RDH is founder and president of DentalPost. A registered dental hygienist-turned-entrepreneur, Tonya has earned industry-wide acclaim for helping dental practices build teams that excel through metric-based career-matching tools to help them find the right fit.

DentalPost is the industry’s premier job board and community, connecting and educating nearly one million dental professionals nationwide. DentalPost is part of itrac LLC, the leading dental MarTech company offering a suite of solutions for dental practices, including illumitrac Software, Dental Revolution, Smartbox Dental, and Local Search for Dentists.

Video Description:

The dental industry may have returned to “business as usual” in the last year, but dental practices are still working to overcome significant challenges to attract and retain top talent. More than 30% of the dental workforce are considering changing jobs this year. And with retirement rates outpacing graduation rates from dental programs, we all have our work cut out for us when it comes to hiring and keeping key players.

Join us for a look at DentalPost’s 2023 salary survey report, highlighting the big trends and insights for front office teams. From compensation to benefits and work conditions, we’ll look at the current state of the dental industry, including hiring predictions and tools to help dental practice managers get ahead of ongoing hiring challenges in 2023.

Course Learning Objectives:

• Understand the current environment for dental practices and front office positions
• See how your salary, benefits, bonuses, and work conditions compare
• Learn ways you can get on top of hiring challenges to retain your key players and attract new talent

Sponsored by: DentalPost

Learn more about the presenters:

Tonya Lanthier, RDH is founder and president of DentalPost. A registered dental hygienist-turned-entrepreneur, Tonya has earned industry-wide acclaim for helping dental practices build teams that excel through metric-based career-matching tools to help them find the right fit.

Heather Colicchio is the founder and president of the American Association of Dental Office Management (AADOM). AADOM is the largest professional organization in the nation for dental business team members. Heather is passionate about small business and entrepreneurship. She enjoys collaboration and loves working in the dental industry.