Posted January 19, 2022
Over the last year, dental workers have returned to the job market in large numbers, and many returning workers took positions with new employers. With the current shortage of dental workers, many employers are concerned about retaining current employees.
DentalPost’s new 2022 Dental Professional Salary Survey Report provides data to help dental practice owners and managers gauge their level of risk for losing one or more team members during the next year due to current job dissatisfaction or planned retirement.
The following data provides only a snapshot of some of the information that will help employers and employees assess how they compare with others in the dental industry at the end of 2021. You can access comprehensive online salary survey reports for each of the following dental professions on www.DentalPost.net.
View Full Dentist Salary Survey Report
Note that in the case of dental hygienists, hundreds of survey respondents made open comments that registered dissatisfaction with one or more aspects of their current jobs. Feeling underpaid was the top source of dissatisfaction. Nearly 25% said time constraints, new practice leadership, and practice policies are interfering with their ability to do their best work.
View Full Dental Hygienist Salary Survey Report
Comments from respondents indicate being underpaid is top of dental assistants’ minds. Following that is a desire for a more respectful and appreciative work environment. Only 4.5% of comments indicated their dissatisfaction stems from COVID risks. A smaller 3.5% of commenters indicated their dissatisfaction is due to a recent change in practice ownership.
View Full Dental Assistant Salary Survey Report
View Full Dental Practice Manager Salary Survey Report
View Full Dental Billing Specialist Salary Survey Report
View Full General Front Office Staff Member Salary Survey Report
Year over year, DentalPost surveys demonstrate the top motivators to seek new employment are the desire for higher wages and feeling underappreciated or limited in career potential where they currently work. DentalPost’s Dental Professional Salary Survey Report posted this month enables employers to compare what they are paying their team members to the average of what others are paying in their state. Dental employers who are paying less than their state average or have not given a pay raise in the last two years are at heightened risk of employee dissatisfaction.
If you are at risk, consider giving a pay raise in the first quarter of 2022 that exceeds the typical cost-of-living increase. Then, employers can have a conversation with each employee about appreciation for their contributions and also discuss with them some of the inflation realities dental businesses are facing.
Collaborating with team members on a plan of objectives for 2022 to meet today’s practice challenges will reveal team concerns and relieve unspoken tension. Ideally, employee engagement will be boosted by the process. And even if some ideas to address concerns are impractical, solutions will hopefully surface that everyone owns and will happily implement.
To dig deeper into the nuances of what dental employees are feeling about their jobs in clinical settings across the country, DentalPost has designed a Q1 2022 survey to focus on job satisfaction. Click here to learn more about the survey.