Perform surgery and related procedures on the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial regions to treat diseases, injuries, or defects. May diagnose problems of the oral and maxillofacial regions. May perform surgery to improve function or appearance.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons is licensed or registered in 50 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 8 professional certifications to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. 3 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Associate Fellow of the AAID, Board Certification in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Fellow of the AAID. Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most oral and maxillofacial surgeons are Offices of Dentists (88% of the jobs counted, median pay $360,820), General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (8% of the jobs counted, median pay $85,020), Offices of Physicians (3% of the jobs counted, median pay $349,000), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (1% of the jobs counted, median pay $155,270) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Offices of Dentists ($360,820). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
Injury and illness rates. For the broader group "Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners", which includes this career (BLS did not publish enough cases for this exact occupation), employers reported 83.9 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 7 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Healthcare practitioners and technical", which includes this career, 12.0% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,605 for union members and $1,521 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to oral and maxillofacial surgeons.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Professional and related", which includes this career, 86% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 85% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 92% had paid sick leave, 73% paid vacation and 78% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $74.42 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Professional and related" in June 2026 ($50.37 in wages and salaries and $24.06 in benefits, 32.3% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for oral and maxillofacial surgeons are: face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (100%), indoors, environmentally controlled (100%), wear common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets (100%), importance of being exact or accurate (100%), physical proximity (96%), contact with others (93%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (37% of 27 respondents) was "none"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (37% of 27 respondents) was "none"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (41% of 27 respondents) was "none or short demonstration". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the work done and the skills used: Pediatric Surgeons, Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric, Prosthodontists, Dentists, General, Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric, Dermatologists, Orthodontists, Urologists (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Compare oral and maxillofacial surgeons with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery
CIP 51.0507