Hey, friends! I appreciate your interest in knowing more about the dentist’s salary in India. If you are looking for a dentist’s salary in India, then you might be a BDS or MDS aspirant.
You can also read my exclusive guide on BDS admission and MDS admission for more information if you are a dental aspirant.
Everyone out there has this question about dentistry. What is the salary of a dentist in India? And here I will give you a detailed post about the same.
If you are someone who is looking to join BDS in India, then I would advise you to go through my detailed post about the Bachelor of Dental Surgery course too. I also mentioned in detail about BDS course fees in India.
Contents
What is a Dentist’s Salary in India after BDS?
The basic salary of a dentist after BDS, fresher, is around Rs.10,000 to Rs.25,000(Some corporate Clinics pay more), and an experienced dentist can earn anywhere between Rs.30,000 to Rs.45,000. Many of the clinics pay a percentage of profit with the basic salary and that would be great if you are working in a dental with a lot of patients.
Imagine a clinic with a daily collection of Rs.20,000, and you are paid Rs.10,000 per month plus 5% incentives. That’s a good amount, and you will be paid a percentage of the profit, not the collection amount. 😛
Yes, it’s a fact. Unlike Western countries, dentists in India are paid very low due to the very low dentist-to-patient ratio. In the case of Western countries, dentists are the richest people in the country owning their yacht, swimming pool, and literally a helicopter.
It would be great if dentists from India worked in Gulf countries like Dubai. They will surely get a salary starting from Rs.1 lakh to Rs.2 Lakhs. To work in a Gulf country as a dentist, he/she should have at least 2 years of experience in India and also clear the Ministry of Health exam conducted by the specific country, which is not that hard to pass.
Dentists in India can even earn more if they work uniquely. After graduation, most dentists think only of opening a dental clinic or going for post-graduation courses like MDS. It’s not their fault.
It is what has been going on for decades and is a kind of traditional taboo. Dentists in India never thought anything out of the box these days. There were few dentists at that time, and the patient-to-doctor ratio was favorable for all.
But now, with more than a hundred dental colleges in India and thousands of dentists graduating each year, the situation is getting worse. So, in short, the salary of a fresher dentist after BDS would be around 10k to 15k in India.
If you want to earn more like a dentist, you can read my complete guide on what to do after BDS.
Return of Investment on BDS Salary
This means what is the percentage of return you are getting on the amount you have invested for your dental education.
I want to tell you that dentistry is a skill-based profession. Only having theoretical knowledge won’t help you succeed. So, your handwork is the first factor for what you are going to earn in the future.
To get the best ROI, I would suggest you join dental colleges with good facilities and patient exposure but a decent fee structure. It can be somewhere between Rs.8 lakhs to Ts.12 lakhs for the complete course.
Parallelly, during your college days, if you are developing good hand work, then the chances of ROI will increase. This is just one factor, and there are many variable factors too.
And in case if you are planning to join BDS, then you can go through my detailed posts about the following:
- BDS management quota fees in India.
- BDS fees in private colleges
- BDS payment seat fees.
- BDS fee structure in Bihar.
- BDS Fee structure in Karnataka.
- BDS private college fees in Delhi.
- BDS fees in UP.
- BDS fee structure in Kerala.
Many students call me and also ask what is the BDS fee structure without NEET. The answer is simple: you cannot take BDS admission without qualifying for the NEET entrance exam.
What is the Dentist’s Salary in India after MDS?
Anyone would be shocked after knowing the salary of a dentist in India after BDS. It’s not that different in case after passing out MDS, too. A fresher MDS in dentistry can earn around Rs.25,000 to Rs.50,000, depending on the clinic or college they join.
I know many private colleges paying senior lecturers around Rs.25,000 and assistant professors around Rs.35,000. So that completely depends on the firm or institute.
If you work in Gulf countries after MDS, then you will be paid a minimum salary of Rs.2 lakhs per month. For this, you should have a minimum of 3 years of experience after passing your post-graduation in dentistry and also clear the Ministry of Health exams. I know dentists who work in Gulf countries with even Rs.5 Lakhs salary per month.
So how can I earn more like a dentist in India?
I would list a few options you can go to as a dentist to boost your earnings slowly and steadily.
- Open a Dental Clinic: If you are serious about working and using unique and creative marketing techniques, you can earn a hell lot of money for sure.
- Dental Tourism: For this, you will need your clinic plus great marketing skills. It will take time but you can earn a lot through this. Foreign patients pay 10 times more than a local patient, i.e. 1 Local Patient = 10 Foreign Patients minimum.
- Start Teaching: You can teach anything related to dentistry. Teach what you are best at. It’s not necessary to teach only clinical subjects. Do you love photography? Learn and teach dental photography. Anything, think out of the box.
- And the list goes on.
As of my research, I feel if a dentist in India works in a creative and unique way, they could earn very well. Even reach a point where you can earn as good as a Western dentist.
Conclusion
I guess I was able to help you get an idea of dentist salaries in India after BDS and after MDS. Also, go through my career options after the BDS post is given below. It completely depends on the way you work, and it’s a guarantee that you can earn well-being as a dentist.
If you loved this post, please do share this with your friends and colleagues in need.
Got any questions? You can comment on your queries and I will try my best to respond as soon as possible.
Comparing MBA and MPH which is better than the other to do after BDS? Can u explain about the above 2 in detail??
Dear Bharkavi,
It completely depends on the field you want to divert. I know people who are earning very good by MBA and MPH. It is not a single-line answer as you have to know your interest, what is your aim, etc.
Any tips of practicing or opening a new clinic in a small town where there is still no endodontist are working. Should i go for it in the small town or should i think for the main capital. can you please suggest any advantage and disadvantages as my first interest is my native place, small town. thank you.
Opening a clinic in a small town or not, depends completely on you. If you have a good social contact in the small town, you could surely go for that. If you are going to a big city, then your marketing strategies must be strong. You must go for all kind of marketing techniques. I would prefer you to go for a small town if you are a fresher.
As a bds student i am intersted in nonclinical subjects like public health dentistry…I want to pursue my MDS in the same subject and am interested in teaching it …what will be the scope of earning in this situation after i complete my MDS.
Dear Kajal,
Community dentistry is now a demanding branch in MDS after BDS. I will surely write a detailed post about it soon.