Career roadmap
How to become Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Median annual wage for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (29-1022) — BLS OEWS, May 2023. BLS publishes no annual wage above $239,200, so the median is at or above this figure.
What you would actually do
The tasks that make up the work of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, weighted by how central each one is to the job.
- Administer anesthetics or sedatives to control pain.
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
- Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
- Treat dental problems or diseases.
- Treat acute illnesses, infections, or injuries.
- Treat medical emergencies.
- Operate on patients to treat conditions.
- Treat chronic diseases or disorders.
The skills that actually carry the job
Scored on how much the work depends on each one — not a wishlist, a measurement.
- Complex Problem Solving4.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.1/5
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Active Learning3.9/5
- Monitoring3.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.8/5
- Coordination3.6/5
Would this suit you?
Every occupation leans on a particular mix of interests. Here is the mix measured for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons — and our free 2-minute Career Match scores you on the same six.
- Investigative5.9/7
Investigating, diagnosing, reasoning through problems with evidence
- Realistic5.6/7
Hands-on, practical, working with tools, machines or the body
- Social4.5/7
Helping, teaching, caring for and working directly with people
- Conventional3.6/7
Ordering, checking, following a precise procedure accurately
- Enterprising2.2/7
Persuading, leading, selling, taking commercial risk
- Artistic1.2/7
Creating, expressing, working without a fixed procedure
Interest profiles from the O*NET 29.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0.
