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Dental Practitioners

Dental Practitioners diagnose and treat dental disease, restore normal oral function using a broad range of treatments, such as surgery and other specialist techniques, and advise on oral health.

HealthANZSCO 2523
$3,232/wkMedian full-time pay
26kPeople employed
+36% ▲Growth to 2035
60%Work full time
42Median age
Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 2523.More about our sources: How we check our facts

What they do

The main tasks of this occupation, from the national occupation standard.

diagnosing dental diseases using a range of methods such as radiographs, salivary tests and medical historiesproviding preventative oral health care such as periodontal treatments, fluoride applications and oral health promotionproviding restorative oral care such as implants, complex crown and bridge restorations, and orthodontics, and repairing damaged and decayed teethproviding oral surgical treatments such as biopsy of tissue and prescription of medicationperforming routine orthodontic treatmentrestoring oral function with removable and fixed oral prostheses
Source: JSA occupation profileTask list from the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for ANZSCO 2523 (ANZSCO task statements).More about our sources: How we check our facts

The outlook

Room for 8,700 more people in dental practitioners by 2035 ▲

The field grew 10% in the year to February 2026, adding about 2,300 workers. Most of the jobs are in VIC and QLD, with NSW third.

Source: JSA · ABS, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 2523.More about our sources: How we check our facts
24.5k2025
29.3k2030 PROJ.
33.2k2035 PROJ.

Getting in

10 in ten people here have a degree. You can still get in without one.

2% came through a VET qualification. These are the nationally recognised courses mapped to this occupation, with the number of registered training providers that offer each one.

Source: JSA · training.gov.auEducation split: JSA (Jobs and Skills Australia) occupation profile, using ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Census data, ANZSCO 2523. Qualification mapping and provider counts: training.gov.au, the national register of vocational education, October 2026. Listed providers are current registered training providers (private providers and TAFE institutes).More about our sources: How we check our facts

Nationally recognised training · most offered first

11340NATGraduate Diploma

Graduate Diploma of Aesthetic Orthodontics (Sequential Aligner Therapy)

See 1 provider
11392NATGraduate Diploma

Graduate Diploma of Digital Orthodontic Treatments

See 1 provider
11374NATGraduate Diploma

Graduate Diploma of Orthodontic Diagnosis and Appliance Therapy

See 0 providers

Providers are shown in A-Z order on each course page. A listing is not a recommendation.

Jobs open right now

26k Australians do this work. See who is hiring this month.

Search job ads by state

Each link opens seek.com.au in a new tab, showing ads posted in the last month. SEEK is a job site; we link there because that is where most Australian jobs are advertised. We have no commercial relationship with SEEK.

Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26State chart shows people employed, not current job ads. ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 2523.More about our sources: How we check our facts

People employed by state, 2025-26

VIC7k
QLD6.6k
NSW6k
WA1.8k
SA1k
ACT0.3k
TAS0.2k
NT0.1k