Orthodontists
SOC Code: 29-1023
Orthodontists carries a 24% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk) and +4.4% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 5,900 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 24% AI exposure, Orthodontists sits 13 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 13% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
78/100
Orthodontists, weighted across 2 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage N/A N/A
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth B +4.4%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A 24% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Orthodontists in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Graduate credential among the thinner entry shelves
Orthodontists is in the Graduate band (113 of 832) with BLS pace Average (378/832). Graduate entry is a minority shelf - pairing it with average growth is the standing that separates this SOC from bachelor-dominated neighbors.
Where Orthodontists sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Orthodontists sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
24% Among the lowest lower than 87% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Orthodontists vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Orthodontists is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Orthodontists's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 29-1023) code. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Orthodontists be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Orthodontists. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Diagnose teeth and jaw or other dental-facial abnormalities.
- 2. Examine patients to assess abnormalities of jaw development, tooth position, and other dental-facial structures.
- 3. Study diagnostic records, such as medical or dental histories, plaster models of the teeth, photos of a patient's face and teeth, and X-rays, to develop patient treatment plans.
- 4. Fit dental appliances in patients' mouths to alter the position and relationship of teeth and jaws or to realign teeth.
- 5. Adjust dental appliances to produce and maintain normal function.
- 6. Provide patients with proposed treatment plans and cost estimates.
- 7. Advise patients to comply with treatment plans.
- 8. Prepare diagnostic and treatment records.
- 9. Instruct dental officers and technical assistants in orthodontic procedures and techniques.
- 10. Coordinate orthodontic services with other dental and medical services.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
- Reading Comprehension
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Active Learning
- Judgment and Decision Making
Knowledge Areas
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Biology
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
- Physics
- Engineering and Technology
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Orthodontists?
Orthodontists has an AI exposure score of 24%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Orthodontists?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Orthodontists is projected to grow by 4.4% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 5,900 workers.
What skills are needed for Orthodontists?
Key skills for Orthodontists include Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, and others. Typical entry-level education is Doctoral or professional degree.
How much do Orthodontists earn?
Wage data for Orthodontists varies by region, experience, and employer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes median wage estimates in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Orthodontists?
The typical entry-level education for Orthodontists is Doctoral or professional degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Internship/residency. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Orthodontists?
Orthodontists roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Orthodontists: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (24% here).
- Audiologists · AI exposure 24%
- Brickmasons and blockmasons · AI exposure 24%
- Dental laboratory technicians · AI exposure 24%
- Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic · AI exposure 24%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+4.4% here).
- Environmental scientists and specialists, including health · growth +4.4%
- General and operations managers · growth +4.4%
- Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors · growth +4.4%
- Helpers, construction trades, all other · growth +4.4%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 45 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Orthodontists' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Orthodontists side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).