The Double Your Production Podcast Ep 148: "What Should I Pay My Team?"
Aug 20, 2025
Kellie Black, coaching director at the Team Training Institute and former dental hygienist, shares her insights on team compensation in dentistry. She discusses the challenges of rising wages and shrinking profits, offering strategies for determining fair pay. Kellie emphasizes the importance of market research, introducing activity bonuses to boost team morale, and effectively responding to team members seeking raises. The conversation highlights the need for transparency and collaboration to enhance both team performance and practice profitability.
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Research Local Market Rates
- Do market research to find the going wage in your area before setting pay rates.
- Ask neighboring dentists, suppliers, labs, and job ads to establish a hiring baseline.
Production Pay Unlocks Earning Potential
- Compensation tied to production gives hygienists unlimited earning potential compared with flat hourly increases.
- Wendy Briggs argues production pay plus maximizing hygiene productivity can offset wage pressures on the practice.
Five Hygienists Threatened To Quit
- Wendy described five hygienists threatening to walk demanding a $10 hourly raise and how leadership reframed pay into production earnings.
- The team was shown a production comp plan that offered higher upside than a flat raise.
