🇰🇷 South Korea · Dentist
From KRW 108M / yr (≈$74K USD) by industry
Mean salary — KRW 108M / yr (≈$74K USD).
KRW 108M / yr (≈$74K USD)
💰 Pay spread — by industry / specialty
The mean is the headline; the spread is what matters.
180,000,000 KRW
Implants / Prosthodontics
High share of non-insured care
🟢 Tier 1 — KOSIS Wage Structure Basic Statistics Survey 2023
200,000,000 KRW
Orthodontics
Non-insured + long-term care
🟢 Tier 1 — KOSIS Wage Structure Basic Statistics Survey 2023
150,000,000 KRW
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Hospital-based
🟢 Tier 1 — KOSIS Wage Structure Basic Statistics Survey 2023
110,000,000 KRW
Pediatric Dentistry
Specialty + stability
🟢 Tier 1 — KOSIS Wage Structure Basic Statistics Survey 2023
🗺️ The path — stage by stage
- 1. Dental school / DDS program (6 or 4+4 yr) — Top CSAT entry
- 2. Dental Licensing Exam (— yr) — Taken in 4th year
- 3. Internship / Residency (optional) (1+3 yr) — Specialist track
- 4. Employed / private (— yr) — Stability vs business
📝 Licensing exam
Dental Licensing Exam
Take after dental school graduation.
🏛️ Top schools
| School | Location | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Seoul National University Dental School | Jongno-gu, Seoul | Top in Korea |
| Yonsei Dental School | Seodaemun-gu, Seoul | Strong private |
| Kyung Hee Dental School | Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul | Korean medicine + Western medicine |
| Dankook Dental School | Cheonan, Chungcheongnam | Strong clinical |
🟠 Tier 3 — context only
🩺 Apprenticeship / Residency
Trainee (Internship + Residency, optional)
Specialist track: 1-yr Internship + 3-yr Residency. General dentists practice right after licensure.
💵 Specialties — same title, different number
| Specialty / Industry | Mean / yr | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Implants / Prosthodontics | 180,000,000 KRW | High share of non-insured care |
| Orthodontics | 200,000,000 KRW | Non-insured + long-term care |
| Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery | 150,000,000 KRW | Hospital-based |
| Pediatric Dentistry | 110,000,000 KRW | Specialty + stability |
| General dentist | 100,000,000 KRW | Neighborhood clinic |
🏢 Employer types — base vs total comp
Clinic owner
Variable income, business risk
Employed dentist
Stable salary + incentives
University hospital / network
Teaching/research + stability
📈 Income across years
Employed right after licensure
70,000,000 KRW
1~3 yr
Employed — 5 yr
120,000,000 KRW
5 yr
5 yr after opening clinic
180,000,000 KRW
10 yr
Multi-clinic ownership
300,000,000 KRW
15+ yr
📚 Go deeper
Four sub-pages — gift, vision, path, history.