Dentist (General) Salary by State
How much general dentists earn in each state. SOC code 29-1021 (Dentists, General). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$170,950Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$191,350Average of all workers
- Median hourly wage$82.19Mean $91.99/hour
- U.S. employment124,390Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateMissouri$241,580 mean
- States with data47 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do general dentists make?
Nationally, general dentists earn a median of $170,950 a year and a mean of $191,350 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $125,710 (25th percentile) and $224,040 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $86,250 and the top 10% more than $319,630.
That median is 3.4× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $241,580 in Missouri (highest) to $139,320 in Idaho (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, North Dakota comes out on top at $247,933 in national-average dollars.
BLS did not publish wage estimates for this occupation in: Alabama, Delaware, District of Columbia, Kansas.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $86,250 | $7,188 | $41.47 |
| 25th | $125,710 | $10,476 | $60.44 |
| Median | $170,950 | $14,246 | $82.19 |
| 75th | $224,040 | $18,670 | $107.71 |
| 90th | $319,630 | $26,636 | $153.67 |
| Mean | $191,350 | $15,946 | $91.99 |
25th and 75th percentile hourly figures are annual ÷ 2,080 hours.
Dentist (General) salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $241,580 | $204,960 | $98.54 | $95,610 | $427,970 | $225,727 | 2,440 |
| Oregon | $240,170 | $211,690 | $101.77 | $143,990 | $353,310 | $204,729 | 1,660 |
| Maine | $237,360 | $209,200 | $100.58 | $152,740 | $385,460 | $215,670 | 310 |
| Hawaii | $227,370 | $167,820 | $80.68 | $83,310 | $416,000 | $152,564 | 830 |
| Massachusetts | $223,200 | $181,600 | $87.31 | $101,470 | $417,670 | $171,645 | 2,780 |
| North Dakota | $222,340 | $220,660 | $106.09 | $138,570 | $308,040 | $247,933 | 260 |
| Alaska | $215,360 | $230,990 | $111.05 | $124,200 | $320,440 | $225,576 | 310 |
| Vermont | $214,130 | $204,960 | $98.54 | $112,490 | $326,360 | $209,143 | 240 |
| Georgia | $214,040 | $206,760 | $99.41 | $93,590 | $373,420 | $214,704 | 2,620 |
| Minnesota | $211,780 | $219,200 | $105.39 | $132,930 | $226,940 | $222,312 | 2,370 |
| Tennessee | $210,700 | $215,290 | $103.51 | $84,360 | $311,900 | $234,266 | 2,200 |
| North Carolina | $207,550 | $207,000 | $99.52 | $107,810 | $337,630 | $219,512 | 4,140 |
| Wisconsin | $203,600 | $193,690 | $93.12 | $121,780 | $306,370 | $205,834 | 2,560 |
| New York | $202,040 | $183,060 | $88.01 | $75,410 | $375,740 | $169,657 | 7,340 |
| West Virginia | $200,640 | $170,370 | $81.91 | $96,270 | $362,930 | $190,358 | 420 |
| New Hampshire | $200,420 | $177,480 | $85.33 | $99,780 | $341,950 | $170,326 | 500 |
| Iowa | $198,470 | $181,520 | $87.27 | $100,920 | $259,990 | $206,743 | 1,240 |
| New Jersey | $198,290 | $171,330 | $82.37 | $77,920 | $349,780 | $157,472 | 2,980 |
| Virginia | $197,820 | $197,110 | $94.76 | $105,400 | $321,250 | $194,965 | 4,140 |
| Florida | $195,930 | $174,900 | $84.09 | $98,680 | $314,860 | $169,149 | 9,320 |
| Washington | $195,810 | $169,730 | $81.60 | $85,240 | $346,840 | $158,626 | 3,240 |
| Indiana | $195,140 | $166,650 | $80.12 | $81,370 | $327,980 | $178,617 | 2,300 |
| Illinois | $193,050 | $156,110 | $75.06 | $123,920 | $291,530 | $156,110 | 6,940 |
| Michigan | $188,930 | $169,930 | $81.70 | $109,960 | $303,980 | $176,642 | 3,620 |
| Oklahoma | $188,280 | $166,170 | $79.89 | $97,290 | $346,890 | $189,260 | 980 |
| Nebraska | $186,420 | $179,750 | $86.42 | $68,040 | $265,940 | $199,501 | 790 |
| Maryland | $185,740 | $168,500 | $81.01 | $107,880 | $254,820 | $160,476 | 2,100 |
| New Mexico | $185,010 | $155,260 | $74.64 | $101,180 | $306,320 | $168,395 | 780 |
| Connecticut | $183,990 | $160,440 | $77.13 | $89,430 | $362,870 | $154,865 | 1,950 |
| South Carolina | $181,570 | $158,640 | $76.27 | $96,920 | $310,840 | $169,306 | 2,140 |
| Arizona | $181,040 | $194,180 | $93.36 | $62,230 | $336,320 | $192,830 | 3,470 |
| Ohio | $180,440 | $167,410 | $80.49 | $64,910 | $316,970 | $180,399 | 2,790 |
| Nevada | $178,460 | $162,200 | $77.98 | $99,600 | $262,350 | $162,200 | 1,100 |
| Texas | $178,360 | $162,360 | $78.06 | $83,990 | $308,220 | $167,209 | 8,920 |
| Louisiana | $176,540 | $170,750 | $82.09 | $80,530 | $309,360 | $193,594 | 1,500 |
| Arkansas | $174,280 | $178,930 | $86.02 | $99,010 | $223,010 | $205,903 | 1,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $172,710 | $163,390 | $78.56 | $65,520 | $316,950 | $167,408 | 4,460 |
| California | $170,690 | $165,950 | $79.79 | $74,510 | $272,730 | $149,910 | 16,770 |
| Montana | $168,460 | $167,200 | $80.39 | $63,710 | $230,580 | $176,744 | 380 |
| South Dakota | $164,030 | $158,140 | $76.03 | $94,560 | $250,780 | $178,488 | 390 |
| Rhode Island | $162,440 | $161,560 | $77.67 | $103,490 | $240,650 | $157,928 | 360 |
| Colorado | $160,810 | $166,240 | $79.92 | $84,590 | $229,070 | $161,242 | 2,940 |
| Kentucky | $157,630 | $134,160 | $64.50 | $44,820 | $344,040 | $148,736 | 790 |
| Mississippi | $149,300 | $143,660 | $69.07 | $59,700 | $240,450 | $165,126 | 740 |
| Wyoming | $146,240 | $123,830 | $59.53 | $71,150 | $235,090 | $133,581 | 240 |
| Utah | $144,880 | $133,320 | $64.10 | $84,020 | $222,820 | $134,803 | 1,020 |
| Idaho | $139,320 | $124,190 | $59.71 | $91,070 | $203,610 | $130,042 | 650 |
| Alabama | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — | — | — | — | 390 |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — | — | — | — | 340 |
| Kansas | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Highest median pay
- Alaska — $230,990
- North Dakota — $220,660
- Minnesota — $219,200
- Tennessee — $215,290
- Oregon — $211,690
Lowest median pay
- Wyoming — $123,830
- Idaho — $124,190
- Utah — $133,320
- Kentucky — $134,160
- Mississippi — $143,660
Best pay after cost of living
- North Dakota — $247,933
- Tennessee — $234,266
- Missouri — $225,727
- Alaska — $225,576
- Minnesota — $222,312
The most general dentists work in California (16,770 jobs), Florida and Texas.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a dentist (general) make?
The national median wage for general dentists is $170,950 a year and the mean is $191,350, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays general dentists the most?
Missouri has the highest mean wage for general dentists at $241,580, and Alaska has the highest median at $230,990.
Which state pays general dentists the least?
Idaho has the lowest mean wage for general dentists among states with published data, at $139,320.
Where do general dentists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, North Dakota ranks first at $247,933 in national-average dollars, followed by Tennessee and Missouri.