Key Takeaways
- National average is $191,350. Dentists earn an average of $191,350 a year nationally (2025, BLS OEWS), with a median of $170,950.
- Missouri pays the most. Missouri leads at $241,580 — about 1.7x what the lowest-paying state offers.
- Idaho pays the least. Idaho is lowest at $139,320. Pay broadly tracks local cost of living.
- Location matters. The same job can pay tens of thousands more depending on the state — before adjusting for how far that money goes locally.
How much do dentists earn — and where are they paid the most? Using the latest wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, here is the average dentist salary in every state, mapped and ranked. Nationally, dentists earn an average of $191,350 a year.
Dentist salary by state, mapped
Highest and lowest-paying states
Missouri pays dentists the most at an average of $241,580, while Idaho pays the least at $139,320 — a gap of roughly 1.7x. Remember that higher-paying states also tend to have a higher cost of living.
Full table: salary by state
Average and median annual salary plus total employment for all 50 states and D.C. — sortable and searchable.
| Rank | State | Avg salary | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missouri | $241,580 | $204,960 | 2,440 |
| 2 | Oregon | $240,170 | $211,690 | 1,660 |
| 3 | Maine | $237,360 | $209,200 | 310 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $227,370 | $167,820 | 830 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $223,200 | $181,600 | 2,780 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $222,340 | $220,660 | 260 |
| 7 | Alaska | $215,360 | $230,990 | 310 |
| 8 | Vermont | $214,130 | $204,960 | 240 |
| 9 | Georgia | $214,040 | $206,760 | 2,620 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $211,780 | $219,200 | 2,370 |
| 11 | Tennessee | $210,700 | $215,290 | 2,200 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $207,550 | $207,000 | 4,140 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $203,600 | $193,690 | 2,560 |
| 14 | New York | $202,040 | $183,060 | 7,340 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $200,640 | $170,370 | 420 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $200,420 | $177,480 | 500 |
| 17 | Iowa | $198,470 | $181,520 | 1,240 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $198,290 | $171,330 | 2,980 |
| 19 | Virginia | $197,820 | $197,110 | 4,140 |
| 20 | Florida | $195,930 | $174,900 | 9,320 |
| 21 | Washington | $195,810 | $169,730 | 3,240 |
| 22 | Indiana | $195,140 | $166,650 | 2,300 |
| 23 | Illinois | $193,050 | $156,110 | 6,940 |
| 24 | Michigan | $188,930 | $169,930 | 3,620 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $188,280 | $166,170 | 980 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $186,420 | $179,750 | 790 |
| 27 | Maryland | $185,740 | $168,500 | 2,100 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $185,010 | $155,260 | 780 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $183,990 | $160,440 | 1,950 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $181,570 | $158,640 | 2,140 |
| 31 | Arizona | $181,040 | $194,180 | 3,470 |
| 32 | Ohio | $180,440 | $167,410 | 2,790 |
| 33 | Nevada | $178,460 | $162,200 | 1,100 |
| 34 | Texas | $178,360 | $162,360 | 8,920 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $176,540 | $170,750 | 1,500 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $174,280 | $178,930 | 1,210 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $172,710 | $163,390 | 4,460 |
| 38 | California | $170,690 | $165,950 | 16,770 |
| 39 | Montana | $168,460 | $167,200 | 380 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $164,030 | $158,140 | 390 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $162,440 | $161,560 | 360 |
| 42 | Colorado | $160,810 | $166,240 | 2,940 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $157,630 | $134,160 | 790 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $149,300 | $143,660 | 740 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $146,240 | $123,830 | 240 |
| 46 | Utah | $144,880 | $133,320 | 1,020 |
| 47 | Idaho | $139,320 | $124,190 | 650 |
About the data
Figures are average (mean) and median annual wages from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, 2025 estimates, for the “Dentists” occupation. OEWS is released annually. Wages are gross, before tax, and not adjusted for state cost-of-living differences.
Data and references:
