Sort by any column. Employment is the number of dentists, general OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Dentist Salary by State (2026)
Dentists, General earn the most in Alaska at $230,990 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $107,560 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $170,950. All 48 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $230,990
- National median
- $170,950
- Lowest median
- $107,560
- States reporting
- 48
Alaska
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Dentists, General
- 1. Alaska$230,990 median · $225,667 adjusted · 310 employed
- 2. North Dakota$220,660 median · $248,047 adjusted · 260 employed
- 3. Minnesota$219,200 median · $222,265 adjusted · 2,370 employed
- 4. Tennessee$215,290 median · $234,342 adjusted · 2,200 employed
- 5. Oregon$211,690 median · $204,806 adjusted · 1,660 employed
Lowest-paying states for Dentists, General
- 48. Puerto Rico$107,560 median · no price parity · 150 employed
- 47. Wyoming$123,830 median · $133,594 adjusted · 240 employed
- 46. Idaho$124,190 median · $130,050 adjusted · 650 employed
- 45. Utah$133,320 median · $134,852 adjusted · 1,020 employed
- 44. Kentucky$134,160 median · $148,804 adjusted · 790 employed
Dentist salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $230,990 | $129,910 | $279,870 | 310 | $225,667 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $220,660 | $151,110 | $275,680 | 260 | $248,047 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $219,200 | $194,990 | $220,230 | 2,370 | $222,265 |
| 4 | Tennessee | $215,290 | $133,710 | $269,120 | 2,200 | $234,342 |
| 5 | Oregon | $211,690 | $169,430 | $306,890 | 1,660 | $204,806 |
| 6 | Maine | $209,200 | $160,980 | $351,830 | 310 | $215,559 |
| 7 | North Carolina | $207,000 | $151,810 | $232,880 | 4,140 | $219,452 |
| 8 | Georgia | $206,760 | $154,550 | $257,910 | 2,620 | $214,720 |
| 9 | Missouri | $204,960 | $131,980 | $334,680 | 2,440 | $225,685 |
| 10 | Vermont | $204,960 | $156,050 | $234,980 | 240 | $209,233 |
| 11 | Virginia | $197,110 | $134,870 | $259,530 | 4,140 | $194,958 |
| 12 | Arizona | $194,180 | $118,910 | $221,380 | 3,470 | $192,874 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $193,690 | $155,940 | $265,220 | 2,560 | $205,845 |
| 14 | New York | $183,060 | $109,220 | $221,910 | 7,340 | $169,624 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $181,600 | $157,670 | $315,990 | 2,780 | $171,714 |
| 16 | Iowa | $181,520 | $136,100 | $209,880 | 1,240 | $206,832 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $179,750 | $130,720 | $248,590 | 790 | $199,494 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $178,930 | $127,540 | $209,720 | 1,210 | $205,816 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $177,480 | $129,650 | $260,000 | 500 | $170,384 |
| 20 | Florida | $174,900 | $128,440 | $229,990 | 9,320 | $169,126 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $171,330 | $132,710 | $260,000 | 2,980 | $157,465 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $170,750 | $101,670 | $213,660 | 1,500 | $193,579 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $170,370 | $129,990 | $268,400 | 420 | $190,364 |
| 24 | Michigan | $169,930 | $132,570 | $212,630 | 3,620 | $176,611 |
| 25 | Washington | $169,730 | $119,250 | $235,180 | 3,240 | $158,607 |
| 26 | Maryland | $168,500 | $134,850 | $215,960 | 2,100 | $160,539 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $167,820 | $93,720 | $392,340 | 830 | $152,632 |
| 28 | Ohio | $167,410 | $96,370 | $222,820 | 2,790 | $180,449 |
| 29 | Montana | $167,200 | $121,610 | $202,310 | 380 | $176,660 |
| 30 | Indiana | $166,650 | $123,420 | $281,220 | 2,300 | $178,562 |
| 31 | Colorado | $166,240 | $103,820 | $210,080 | 2,940 | $161,317 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $166,170 | $107,880 | $228,710 | 980 | $189,167 |
| 33 | California | $165,950 | $124,470 | $213,260 | 16,770 | $149,883 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $163,390 | $112,640 | $210,650 | 4,460 | $167,456 |
| 35 | Texas | $162,360 | $119,990 | $216,390 | 8,920 | $167,283 |
| 36 | Nevada | $162,200 | $128,880 | $195,630 | 1,100 | $162,234 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $161,560 | $124,990 | $197,350 | 360 | $157,959 |
| 38 | Connecticut | $160,440 | $121,420 | $205,220 | 1,950 | $154,850 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $158,640 | $121,090 | $228,820 | 2,140 | $169,218 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $158,140 | $104,540 | $191,280 | 390 | $178,516 |
| 41 | Illinois | $156,110 | $124,800 | $272,510 | 6,940 | $156,176 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $155,260 | $118,560 | $226,330 | 780 | $168,373 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $143,660 | $77,620 | $195,110 | 740 | $165,216 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $134,160 | $103,720 | $165,180 | 790 | $148,804 |
| 45 | Utah | $133,320 | $101,100 | $165,580 | 1,020 | $134,852 |
| 46 | Idaho | $124,190 | $104,520 | $155,060 | 650 | $130,050 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $123,830 | $101,970 | $176,870 | 240 | $133,594 |
| 48 | Puerto Rico | $107,560 | $90,940 | $132,630 | 150 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Dentists, General, that changes the ranking: Alaska leads on raw pay at $230,990, while North Dakota leads once prices are taken into account at $248,047.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Dentist pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Dentists, General the most?
Alaska reports the highest median wage for Dentists, General at $230,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by North Dakota ($220,660) and Minnesota ($219,200).
Which state pays Dentists, General the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Dentists, General at $107,560 a year, $123,430 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Dentists, General earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts North Dakota first at $248,047 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $220,660. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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