I often read social media posts from people desperately looking for a better understanding of why office manager compensation and benefit structures differ so much. Office managers are not the only ones asking. Dentists are equally perplexed by the complexity of this topic.
As dental practices evolve, the traditional title of dental office manager is becoming increasingly obsolete. Times have changed, and the demands are drastically different from when I started as a manager 30-plus years ago. The responsibilities and duties of this position are different depending on whether someone works for a small, solo practice or a multidoctor or corporate practice. Yet the title applies to all.
While job titles do help classify structure in a practice, job titles themselves can be confusing, particularly when it comes to dental office manager. This is because the name has been so universally used that it’s had a disproportionate impact.
If you don’t believe me, search “dental office manager” on any job posting site and you’ll see ads that require varying degrees of responsibilities and compensation. You’ll often see that the compensation for a senior level role is the same as an entry level role. How can this be fair? It’s not! There’s a drastic difference, which relates to the responsibilities and duties vs. the job title.
I completely understand how people are confused. I took on the OM debate years ago when I was advocating for my compensation to be rebalanced. Before approaching my employer, I needed to know how to articulate the reasons in a way that they could understand. It’s easy to assume that our employer is purposely trying to avoid compensating us fairly. Truthfully, it comes down to the fact that they don’t understand.
Here I’ll share examples where I feel the title of dental office manager may or may not fit. I’ve worked in each example, so I’m basing this personal experience.
What’s in the dental office manager name?
Example 1: Many people hold the title of dental office manager, yet they’re solely responsible for administrative processes and systems, training and monitoring workflow of the admin team, creating a positive patient experience from first call through checkout, and many other responsibilities related to the front office admin area.
They often work under the direction, supervision, and mentorship of the dentist-owner. In this situation, they may have little to no involvement or awareness of the business side of dentistry, such as payroll, human resources, financial planning, and budgets.
They may or may not be provided opportunities to expand their knowledge and experience to take on other complex assignments to prepare them to advance to midlevel management. Education and experience requirements are often derived from working in a front office for years and having a clear understanding of the processes. It can also be gained from an assistant who transitions into an admin role and whose clinical experience is complementary to this role.
I feel strongly that anyone in this position must advance their experience and education. This can be done through webinars, CE courses, and training available through the American Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM). The more you know, the easier it is to advance. You must be willing to invest in yourself and not rely on your employer.
Speaking as someone who previously held this position, I know it’s harder than people think. It provided me with an opportunity to strengthen my leadership skills and have a better understanding of what’s required for an upper management and leadership position. No doubt about it, it helped me advance my career.
This is an entry-level leadership and management position. I do not feel that the title of dental office manager is best suited for this situation. I believe a better title would be, for example, dental front office team lead (or supervisor).
I also feel strongly that compensation should reflect the position’s responsibilities. It should be viewed as the top tier of the front office admin role, depending on the responsibilities. Typically, the annual salary ranges from $36,000 to $50,000-plus.1 I lean more toward the mid to high end of that range because I know what it takes to oversee that area and supervise the admin team.
An employer would be doing a disservice by classifying someone as a dental office manager when they’re not yet there. It’s misleading to prospective employers who see this title listed on a resumé, yet the person has not performed the duties in that capacity. This is happening across the US, which is part of why we’re confused about the title.
OM responsibilities vary widely
Example 2: Dental office managers manage the expectations of the dentist-owner and oversee the teams and processes needed for success. They may have responsibilities that include but are not limited to improving office efficiency and workflow, team management, human resources, patient management, records management, regulatory compliance, and social media. They must also have a situational awareness of the financial aspects of the business.
Education and experience are often a high school diploma or equivalent, college and/or dental experience, and knowledge of practice and team management.2 OMs pick up the slack in jobs that fall by the wayside in other departments which, depending on their clinical experience, may be in patient care. According to the ADA, the title of dental office manager is appropriately assigned based on these responsibilities.
OMs are also receiving additional training and experience that prepares them to advance their career.3 My education and clinical background in dentistry, combined with my experience as a dental front office supervisor, allowed me to easily transition into this position.
In this scenario, compensation should reflect that of a midlevel leadership and management position. For example, the annual salary range of a dental office manager in the US ranges from $55,000 to $70,000.4 It requires advanced knowledge, experience, commitment to continuing education, and long hours to successfully navigate the demands of this role. For that reason, compensation needs to be in the mid to high end of the range.
This is where tensions rise. Some dentists are of the mindset that this position is equivalent to a supervisor or team lead outlined in example 1. Again, speaking from personal experience, they’re drastically different.
A title commensurate with experience
Example 3: Next, we have those like me, in a senior-level management and leadership capacity. They oversee the big picture of their practices. Their role is critical to ensure that the practice runs smoothly. Their responsibilities are vast compared to the ones previously discussed. They often oversee the day-to-day operations of one or several dental practices. They teach, guide, oversee, and mentor team members, supervisors, managers, and team leaders.
In addition to the usual management responsibilities, they’re responsible for some elements of accounting/bookkeeping, partnering with the accountant and dentist-owner to create business plans and establish annual budgets and goals, as well as strategies that help reach certain financial benchmarks. They often negotiate with vendors for cost savings, freeing up money that can be allocated toward equipment/technology and raises.
They manage each department’s performance in conjunction with the HR aspect. They participate in leadership meetings to review key performance indicators (KPIs), whether the implemented processes and policies are meeting the demands of the practice, or if change is required to achieve the desired outcomes.
My responsibilities are on a broad scale and the demands of this position are greater due to years as a dental office manager. It still requires ongoing training, awareness, and education to stay on top of HR and regulatory changes, among other things.
My compensation and job title initially did not accurately reflect the education, experience, demands, and level of responsibilities for this position. I had to research, educate myself, and advocate for a new title and proper compensation. This is why I believe that a title such as dental operations director, for example, is better suited for someone in a senior-level management position.5
A bachelor’s degree in business is often needed for this position, but this alone is not going to land the job. You’ll start in an entry-level position and work your way up to gain a better understanding of the business of dentistry.6 This is what I did. I built on my education, credentials, and experience. I also continued to receive mentorship from an accountant, lawyer, and consultants, all of whom are well-versed in running a successful dental practice.
Compensation in this position ranges from $75,000 to $98,000-plus, along with an incentive for bonuses and other benefits not awarded to entry and midlevel management.1 I feel that mid- to high-end of that compensation scale is ideal, contingent upon responsibilities.
I realize that compensation strikes a chord. Dentists often feel that managers or directors are not producers in the same respect as hygienists. I beg to differ. I know that we play a significant role in increasing production and collection, which yields financial growth year after year.
High-performing managers and directors can produce equal to greater results in their role, just in a different capacity than a hygienist. Not to mention they shoulder the burden of overseeing the practice, often with limited input, time, or oversight from the dentist-owner. This gives dentists time to focus on patient care and spend more time outside the office, without the stress of running all aspects of their business.
Taking the job to coaching level
Example 4: Some rare people, like me, serve in the dual position of dental operation director and in-house dental coach. As you advance in your career, you elevate your experience, knowledge, and education in leadership and management to master-level status. In return, the transition into consulting and coaching comes with ease, or at least it did for me.
I started my coaching and speaking business, LEAP2 Solutions, in 2019. I continue to work in a practice serving in dual positions. I love being a part of the daily activity. It provides me with clear insight into the challenges plaguing managers and dentists while being able to provide them with solutions and strategies to successfully navigate their challenges.
If you’re in this analogous situation, you should discuss how an office is willing to compensate you when you provide consulting and coaching services. You could suggest a reasonable monthly or quarterly stipend or submit an invoice whenever you provide consulting and coaching services in your practice. Most accountants will recommend that a 1099 be issued separately from your W2 when you provide these services.
The most important thing to keep in mind in my examples is that no matter the various responsibilities or titles, we’re all essential to a productive and successful practice. Your contribution enhances the best parts of the workplace while navigating and minimizing the worst ones. The titles are not necessarily mutually exclusive; directors can also be managers and consultants and vice versa, depending on a practice’s structure. The responsibilities are similar, often overlapping, yet drastically different at the same time.7
Do I believe that having a job title is important? Yes, I do! It signals to your team that you’ve acquired the skills, level of competence, expertise, and been awarded the responsibilities required to supervise, lead, and manage. Titles also prevent you from overly compensating those not fully immersed in the duties and responsibilities while appropriately compensating those who are.
We must review the name “dental office manager” to determine whether the title, compensation, and responsibilities are appropriately aligned, or if it’s time to retitle the role and rebalance the compensation structure.
We must also update the job description to properly align with the expectations and requirements of the role. It’s important to ensure that the position is correctly classified to reflect nonexempt or exempt status and for us to clearly understand the differences as they apply to the situation.8
I hope I provided you with a better understanding and guidance about job title and compensation. Keep in mind that geographic location, practice overhead, and other performance metrics are factors regarding whether your employer will be able to compensate you within the ranges noted in this article.
If we don’t do something to distinguish the differences, we’ll continue to have the dental office manager conundrum. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or need more clarification.
References
1. Front office salary in Durham, North Carolina. Salary. https://www.salary.com/research/salary/listing/front-office-supervisor-salary/durham-nc
2. Managing the dental team. American Dental Association. 2017. https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/publications/guidelines-for-practice-success/gps-dental-team/office-manager.pdf
3. Operations manager vs. office managers: differences explained. Get Kisi. July 24, 2024. https://www.getkisi.com/blog/operations-manager-vs-office-manager-differences-explained
4. What is the average dental office manager salary by state? Zip Recruiter. https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/What-Is-the-Average-Dental-Office-Manager-Salary-by-State
5. Cook B. The differences between department and head directore. Fellow. September 26, 2022. https://fellow.app/blog/management/the-differences-between-department-head-and-director/
6. What is an operations manager? WGU. 2024. https://www.wgu.edu/career-guide/business/operations-manager-career.html
7. Director vs. manager: What you need to know to advance to the next step. Ivy Exec. December 19, 2022. Updated June 2021. https://ivyexec.com/career-advice/2016/director-vs-manager-what-you-need-to-know-to-advance-to-the-next-step/
8. Moberly A. Exempt vs. nonexempt employees: what are the differences? Paychex. Updated April 25, 2024. https://www.paychex.com/articles/payroll-taxes/whats-the-difference-between-exempt-and-non-exempt-employees
