Our goal at HIN South London is (as stated on our front page) to share knowledge and competence across the borders of Britain and Norway. Such a website would not be complete without answering one of the most common questions the dental students in our exchange program asks: “Who earns more: Norwegian or UK dentists?”
The answer to this is a bit more nuanced than giving these students the flat numbers. Usually, we explain a little more about the different costs of living in Norway and the UK instead of answering the question directly. That’s also what we’ll be doing for you today. We start out by looking at the raw statistics.
Average Salary of Norwegian Dentists
The average salary of a dentist in Norway is 1,420,000 NOK, or roughly 118,000 British pounds, according to statistics from ERI Economic Research Institute. Average wage bonuses add up to about 50,000 NOK, or 4175 GBP per year.
Average Salary of UK Dentists
The average dentist salary in the UK is 101,000 GBP (numbers also found at ERI). Average wage bonuses add up to 3,546 GBP per year. The salary of a dentist in the UK can vary depending on their level of experience, whether they work full-time or part-time and what sector they work for.
What we can conclude from these numbers, is that Norwegian dentists earn significantly more than UK dentists. This is also the case in many other sectors, as Norway is a high-wage country, compared to most others. On the other hand, the costs of goods and services are also higher in Norway. Therefore, the choice of whether to work in Norway or the UK should not hinge on salary alone.
Factors That Affect a Dentist’s Salary
To find out more about the factors that affect a dentist’s salary, we reached out to the nearby clinic Majorstuen Tannlegesenter in Oslo, which is located just a few minutes drive from the University of Oslo (Medical faculty). Here is what they told us.
The average dentist salary is indeed 1,420,000 NOK, but the factors that affect a dentist’s salary are not as straightforward as one might think. Many variables can affect the salary, such as the type of dental clinic they work in, their location and the number of years they have been practicing. For example, dentists who work in metropolitan areas typically earn more than those who practice in rural areas.
Dentists can also expect to earn more or less, depending on whether they have certain specializations that few other dental clinics offer. The best way to find out how much you can expect to earn is by looking at your specific location and specialty area, and by asking people who are already doing what you want to do.