SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Examine, diagnose, and treat diseases, injuries, and malformations of teeth and gums. May treat diseases of nerve, pulp, and other dental tissues affecting oral hygiene and retention of teeth. May fit dental appliances or provide preventive care. Excludes “Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons” (29-1022), “Orthodontists” (29-1023), “Prosthodontists” (29-1024), and “Dentists, All Other Specialists” (29-1029).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 29-1021.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $86,250 | $7,188 | $1,659 | $41.47 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $125,710 | $10,476 | $2,418 | $60.44 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $170,950 | $14,246 | $3,288 | $82.19 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $224,040 | $18,670 | $4,308 | $107.71 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $319,630 | $26,636 | $6,147 | $153.67 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Dentists, General is $170,950, which is 235% higher. Among the 71 occupations of the field Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks number 23 by median pay. With 124,390 jobs, it makes up about 8.0 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($191,350) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Dentists, General pay by state
The highest median pay was in Alaska ($230,990), North Dakota ($220,660) and Minnesota ($219,200). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($107,560), Wyoming ($123,830) and Idaho ($124,190). The most jobs were in California (16,770), Florida (9,320) and Texas (8,920). The occupation is most concentrated in Hawaii, where its share of all jobs is 1.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 310 | $230,990 | $215,360 | $111.05 |
| North Dakota | 260 | $220,660 | $222,340 | $106.09 |
| Minnesota | 2,370 | $219,200 | $211,780 | $105.39 |
| Tennessee | 2,200 | $215,290 | $210,700 | $103.51 |
| Oregon | 1,660 | $211,690 | $240,170 | $101.77 |
| Maine | 310 | $209,200 | $237,360 | $100.58 |
| North Carolina | 4,140 | $207,000 | $207,550 | $99.52 |
| Georgia | 2,620 | $206,760 | $214,040 | $99.41 |
| Missouri | 2,440 | $204,960 | $241,580 | $98.54 |
| Vermont | 240 | $204,960 | $214,130 | $98.54 |
| Virginia | 4,140 | $197,110 | $197,820 | $94.76 |
| Arizona | 3,470 | $194,180 | $181,040 | $93.36 |
| Wisconsin | 2,560 | $193,690 | $203,600 | $93.12 |
| New York | 7,340 | $183,060 | $202,040 | $88.01 |
| Massachusetts | 2,780 | $181,600 | $223,200 | $87.31 |
| Iowa | 1,240 | $181,520 | $198,470 | $87.27 |
| Nebraska | 790 | $179,750 | $186,420 | $86.42 |
| Arkansas | 1,210 | $178,930 | $174,280 | $86.02 |
| New Hampshire | 500 | $177,480 | $200,420 | $85.33 |
| Florida | 9,320 | $174,900 | $195,930 | $84.09 |
| New Jersey | 2,980 | $171,330 | $198,290 | $82.37 |
| Louisiana | 1,500 | $170,750 | $176,540 | $82.09 |
| West Virginia | 420 | $170,370 | $200,640 | $81.91 |
| Michigan | 3,620 | $169,930 | $188,930 | $81.70 |
| Washington | 3,240 | $169,730 | $195,810 | $81.60 |
| Maryland | 2,100 | $168,500 | $185,740 | $81.01 |
| Hawaii | 830 | $167,820 | $227,370 | $80.68 |
| Ohio | 2,790 | $167,410 | $180,440 | $80.49 |
| Montana | 380 | $167,200 | $168,460 | $80.39 |
| Indiana | 2,300 | $166,650 | $195,140 | $80.12 |
| Colorado | 2,940 | $166,240 | $160,810 | $79.92 |
| Oklahoma | 980 | $166,170 | $188,280 | $79.89 |
| California | 16,770 | $165,950 | $170,690 | $79.79 |
| Pennsylvania | 4,460 | $163,390 | $172,710 | $78.56 |
| Texas | 8,920 | $162,360 | $178,360 | $78.06 |
| Nevada | 1,100 | $162,200 | $178,460 | $77.98 |
| Rhode Island | 360 | $161,560 | $162,440 | $77.67 |
| Connecticut | 1,950 | $160,440 | $183,990 | $77.13 |
| South Carolina | 2,140 | $158,640 | $181,570 | $76.27 |
| South Dakota | 390 | $158,140 | $164,030 | $76.03 |
| Illinois | 6,940 | $156,110 | $193,050 | $75.06 |
| New Mexico | 780 | $155,260 | $185,010 | $74.64 |
| Mississippi | 740 | $143,660 | $149,300 | $69.07 |
| Kentucky | 790 | $134,160 | $157,630 | $64.50 |
| Utah | 1,020 | $133,320 | $144,880 | $64.10 |
| Idaho | 650 | $124,190 | $139,320 | $59.71 |
| Wyoming | 240 | $123,830 | $146,240 | $59.53 |
| Puerto Rico | 150 | $107,560 | $126,590 | $51.71 |
| Delaware | 390 | not published | not published | not published |
| District of Columbia | 340 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Nurse Anesthetists$236,590 a year
- Dentists, All Other Specialists$224,990 a year
- Pediatricians, General$210,040 a year
- Podiatrists$160,300 a year
- Medical Dosimetrists$147,470 a year
- Pharmacists$140,910 a year
Common questions
How much do Dentists, General earn in the United States?
The median pay was $170,950 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $86,250 and the highest-paid 10% more than $319,630.
How many people work as Dentists, General?
About 124,390 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
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