Dental office management is one of the emerging careers in the health care industry. This article provides you with an overall insight about the job of dental office manager and the salary earned by them.
The health care sector is growing and has become more like a business which needs to be managed well. A dental office manager plays an important role in the smooth functioning of the dental clinic or the hospital. His duties and responsibilities are quite similar to that of the manager who works in business houses or companies. The role of dental office manager is to manage, supervise, and monitor the overall functioning of the dental office, be it a clinic or a hospital, especially meant for patients suffering from dental problems. A professional dental office manager has to act as a liaison between dentists, patients, and other employees in the office, such as, cleaners, receptionists, dental assistants, accountants, and dental lab technicians, etc.
Dental Office Manager Job Description
The core job responsibilities of a dental office manager are a combination of tasks performed by the general manager, human resource personnel, and a health care specialist, etc.
- Supervising the duties and responsibilities of all other staff members in the office.
- Analyzing the need for more resources and using the available resources to the fullest
- Hiring required professionals, such as, part-time, full-time, or on a contract basis, etc. for different job openings in the office.
- Controlling and managing the expenses of the office.
- Keeping a track of the budgets allotted for each departments.
- Assessing the need to improve the departments and suggesting the changes to higher authorities.
- Being updated with the latest laws and regulations regarding the dental office.
- Designing and implementing new policies as per the latest updates in the industry.
- Overseeing the payroll of the employees, including, vacations and leaves, etc.
- Assigning tasks to the subordinate clinical personnel in the office.
- Analyzing the government reports, payroll taxes, and related processes to avoid legal issues.
- Has to buy and keep a record of purchased office supplies including surgical and medicated tools and machinery.
These were some of the duties and responsibilities that are performed by the dental office manager. Now let’s see how much he or she would be paid to fulfill these responsibilities.
Dental Office Manager Salary Range
The salary differs for each individual. It largely depends on the following factors.
Educational Qualification
One has to earn the bachelor’s degree in order to become a dental office manager. A person with bachelor’s or master’s degree in maths, science, public health, and business administration, etc. can start with a salary compared to an art graduate. One must also have the knowledge of dentistry related subjects, such as, dental health safety, dental terminology, dental and general anatomy, and transcription techniques, etc.
Key Skills
A professional dental office manager with relevant skills can earn a higher starting salary. He or she must have exceptionally good communication skills along with knowledge of the industry. He must also have the managerial skills such as, planning, organizing, implementing, and problem solving, etc. Having leadership qualities along with great public speaking skills are also an added advantage.
Location of the Office
Location of the dental office plays a major role in determining the dental office manager salary. For example, a dental office situated in a bigger metro city is more likely to pay more than its smaller counterpart situated in a smaller city. A professional working in New York and Miami is likely to earn more than the professional working in Chicago or Phoenix.
Apart from this, size of the organization also has a major impact on the salary earned by the dental office manager. Obviously, the bigger and more successful the office, the more salary is offered than a smaller dental office. The average salary of a dental office manager can fall somewhere between $30,000 to $50,000 at the starting. With experience and knowledge, it increases in the future.
I hope this information helped you. So if you are planning to become a dental office manager, then start preparing for it from today.