Pay by state · 48 areas
Dentist Salary by State (2026)
Dentists, General earn the most in Alaska at $230,990 a year and the least in Wyoming at $123,830 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $170,950. The table below covers 47 states and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $230,990Alaska
- National median
- $170,950BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $123,830Wyoming
- Areas reporting
- 48of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for dentists, general
Ranked on the state median among the 47 reporting states. After cost of living, North Dakota comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Alaska$230,990
- 2North Dakota$220,660
- 3Minnesota$219,200
- 4Tennessee$215,290
- 5Oregon$211,690
Lowest median pay
- 1Wyoming$123,830
- 2Idaho$124,190
- 3Utah$133,320
- 4Kentucky$134,160
- 5Mississippi$143,660
All states
Dentist salary in every state
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.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AKAlaska | $230,990 | $129,910 | $279,870 | 310 | $225,667 |
| 2 | NDNorth Dakota | $220,660 | $151,110 | $275,680 | 260 | $248,047 |
| 3 | MNMinnesota | $219,200 | $194,990 | $220,230 | 2,370 | $222,265 |
| 4 | TNTennessee | $215,290 | $133,710 | $269,120 | 2,200 | $234,342 |
| 5 | OROregon | $211,690 | $169,430 | $306,890 | 1,660 | $204,806 |
| 6 | MEMaine | $209,200 | $160,980 | $351,830 | 310 | $215,559 |
| 7 | NCNorth Carolina | $207,000 | $151,810 | $232,880 | 4,140 | $219,452 |
| 8 | GAGeorgia | $206,760 | $154,550 | $257,910 | 2,620 | $214,720 |
| 9 | MOMissouri | $204,960 | $131,980 | $334,680 | 2,440 | $225,685 |
| 10 | VTVermont | $204,960 | $156,050 | $234,980 | 240 | $209,233 |
| 11 | VAVirginia | $197,110 | $134,870 | $259,530 | 4,140 | $194,958 |
| 12 | AZArizona | $194,180 | $118,910 | $221,380 | 3,470 | $192,874 |
| 13 | WIWisconsin | $193,690 | $155,940 | $265,220 | 2,560 | $205,845 |
| 14 | NYNew York | $183,060 | $109,220 | $221,910 | 7,340 | $169,624 |
| 15 | MAMassachusetts | $181,600 | $157,670 | $315,990 | 2,780 | $171,714 |
| 16 | IAIowa | $181,520 | $136,100 | $209,880 | 1,240 | $206,832 |
| 17 | NENebraska | $179,750 | $130,720 | $248,590 | 790 | $199,494 |
| 18 | ARArkansas | $178,930 | $127,540 | $209,720 | 1,210 | $205,816 |
| 19 | NHNew Hampshire | $177,480 | $129,650 | $260,000 | 500 | $170,384 |
| 20 | FLFlorida | $174,900 | $128,440 | $229,990 | 9,320 | $169,126 |
| 21 | NJNew Jersey | $171,330 | $132,710 | $260,000 | 2,980 | $157,465 |
| 22 | LALouisiana | $170,750 | $101,670 | $213,660 | 1,500 | $193,579 |
| 23 | WVWest Virginia | $170,370 | $129,990 | $268,400 | 420 | $190,364 |
| 24 | MIMichigan | $169,930 | $132,570 | $212,630 | 3,620 | $176,611 |
| 25 | WAWashington | $169,730 | $119,250 | $235,180 | 3,240 | $158,607 |
| 26 | MDMaryland | $168,500 | $134,850 | $215,960 | 2,100 | $160,539 |
| 27 | HIHawaii | $167,820 | $93,720 | $392,340 | 830 | $152,632 |
| 28 | OHOhio | $167,410 | $96,370 | $222,820 | 2,790 | $180,449 |
| 29 | MTMontana | $167,200 | $121,610 | $202,310 | 380 | $176,660 |
| 30 | INIndiana | $166,650 | $123,420 | $281,220 | 2,300 | $178,562 |
| 31 | COColorado | $166,240 | $103,820 | $210,080 | 2,940 | $161,317 |
| 32 | OKOklahoma | $166,170 | $107,880 | $228,710 | 980 | $189,167 |
| 33 | CACalifornia | $165,950 | $124,470 | $213,260 | 16,770 | $149,883 |
| 34 | PAPennsylvania | $163,390 | $112,640 | $210,650 | 4,460 | $167,456 |
| 35 | TXTexas | $162,360 | $119,990 | $216,390 | 8,920 | $167,283 |
| 36 | NVNevada | $162,200 | $128,880 | $195,630 | 1,100 | $162,234 |
| 37 | RIRhode Island | $161,560 | $124,990 | $197,350 | 360 | $157,959 |
| 38 | CTConnecticut | $160,440 | $121,420 | $205,220 | 1,950 | $154,850 |
| 39 | SCSouth Carolina | $158,640 | $121,090 | $228,820 | 2,140 | $169,218 |
| 40 | SDSouth Dakota | $158,140 | $104,540 | $191,280 | 390 | $178,516 |
| 41 | ILIllinois | $156,110 | $124,800 | $272,510 | 6,940 | $156,176 |
| 42 | NMNew Mexico | $155,260 | $118,560 | $226,330 | 780 | $168,373 |
| 43 | MSMississippi | $143,660 | $77,620 | $195,110 | 740 | $165,216 |
| 44 | KYKentucky | $134,160 | $103,720 | $165,180 | 790 | $148,804 |
| 45 | UTUtah | $133,320 | $101,100 | $165,580 | 1,020 | $134,852 |
| 46 | IDIdaho | $124,190 | $104,520 | $155,060 | 650 | $130,050 |
| 47 | WYWyoming | $123,830 | $101,970 | $176,870 | 240 | $133,594 |
| 48 | PRPuerto Rico | $107,560 | $90,940 | $132,630 | 150 | N/A |
Method
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.
Questions
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?
Among the 47 reporting states, Wyoming reports the lowest median for dentists, general at $123,830 a year, $107,160 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Puerto Rico reports $107,560.
In which states do dentists, general earn over $100,000?
All 47 reporting states: even the lowest, Wyoming, has a median of $123,830 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is the highest-paying state the best for dentists, general after cost of living?
Not on this data. Alaska pays the most on paper ($230,990) but ranks 4th of 47 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($225,667). North Dakota leads after that adjustment at $248,047, from a raw median of $220,660. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.