Pay Calibration
Treatment Coordinator — Dr. Phoebe Tsang’s Practice
What Each Pay Tier Purchases
Pay in this role is tied to execution capability and judgment, not tenure or credentials alone. This document defines what we’re looking for at each level — and what you can expect the work to look like.
$30/hr — Learning & Integration
Who this describes: A developing Treatment Coordinator or strong administrative professional with clinical exposure.
You can reliably:
- Follow established scripts and workflows
- Support consultations under direction
- Collect medical and dental history accurately
- Handle basic insurance coordination and scheduling
- Document interactions clearly when guided
You’ll need support with:
- Frequent check-ins to stay aligned
- Complex parent questions (a senior team member or Dr. Tsang will guide you)
- Sedation or treatment-plan discussions (these are led by the dentist or a senior TC)
What this means in practice: You’re in execution support mode. You’re learning the systems, building relationships, and developing the judgment that comes with experience. This is a learning role — not decision ownership.
$40/hr — Operational Ownership
Who this describes: A competent, trusted Treatment Coordinator who can execute independently within the established clinical framework.
You can reliably do (without supervision):
- Run consultations from intake through explanation to dentist transition
- Explain treatment plans clearly (fillings vs. stainless steel crowns, nerve treatment vs. extraction)
- Communicate oral sedation indications, safety rules, and expectations accurately
- Manage treatment-plan changes after radiographs using plain language
- Contain parent anxiety and skepticism without escalating
- Recognize when escalation to the dentist is required
You still need:
- Alignment with established protocols (you don’t freelance clinically)
- Clear scope boundaries
The value you deliver:
- Reducing dentist chairside and consult time
- Increasing treatment acceptance through clarity and trust
- Improving consistency, safety, and patient experience
Reaching $40/hr means you’ve demonstrated the judgment and clinical knowledge to operate independently. Most people reach this level through the structured Phase 1 and Phase 2 progression.
$45/hr — Executive Systems & Growth
Who this describes: A clinical–operations hybrid with executive ownership and systems responsibility.
The top $5/hr is an Executive Role Premium — a performance stipend that recognizes sustained executive-level delivery.
You can do everything at $40/hr, plus:
- Own practice-wide operational systems (scheduling, pipeline, financial workflows)
- Anticipate failure points before they reach the dentist
- Act as a proxy decision-maker within defined clinical and operational bounds
- Improve workflows and documentation, not just follow them
- Measurably reduce owner intervention in daily operations
The value you deliver:
- Increasing operational leverage
- Stabilizing team performance
- Reducing variability, friction, and risk
- Freeing the owner to focus on clinical care rather than operational management
The executive tier isn’t about working more hours or handling more tasks. It’s about the quality of judgment and the degree of ownership you bring to the practice.
Summary
| Rate | What It Purchases |
|---|---|
| $30/hr | Assisted execution — learning, guided performance, building foundations |
| $40/hr | Independent, judgment-based execution — trusted clinical coordination |
| $45/hr | Executive ownership — leverage, systems stewardship, and strategic value |
Pay is calibrated to what the role can reliably own without correction.
For details on how you advance between tiers, see the Compensation & Advancement Framework. For the specific metrics at each phase, see Performance Milestones & KPIs.