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Dentist Salary | How Much Money Does a Dentist Make?

How much money does a dentist make per year or per hour? That’s a great question. In a continuation of our series on healthcare salaries, we’ll examine the salary and hourly wages for a general dentist. Dentists can make very competitive salaries, and some dentists even earn more money than some doctors. There are up to nine different specialties within dentistry, but this article is just covering a general dentist’s salary.

What Dentists Do on a Daily Basis

Most of us have been to the dentist, so we know much of what they do on the job. Dentists examine, diagnose, and treat diseases, injuries, and malformations of the teeth and gums. Dentists also treat diseases of nerve, pulp, and other dental tissues affecting oral hygiene and retention of teeth.

Here are some of the most common tasks a dentist will do throughout the day:

  • Remove decay from teeth and fill cavities
  • Repair cracked or fractured teeth and remove teeth
  • Straighten teeth to correct bite issues
  • Place sealants or whitening agents on teeth
  • Administer anesthetics to keep patients from feeling pain during procedures
  • Write prescriptions for antibiotics or other medications

Dentists will also provide a lot of cosmetic work, including veneers, whitening procedures, and so forth.

Education Requirements to Become a Dentist

It takes about 8 years to become a general dentist: 4 years in a bachelor’s degree program, and then another 4 years in dental school. All dental schools require applicants to have completed certain required science courses, such as biology and chemistry. Majoring in a science, such as biology, might increase the chances of being accepted, but no specific major is required to enter most dental programs.

College undergraduates who plan on applying to dental school must usually take the Dental Acceptance Test (DAT) during their junior year. Admission to dental school can be competitive. Dental schools use these tests along with other factors, such as grade point average and recommendations, to admit students into their programs.

Dental schools require students to take classes in subjects such as local anesthesia, anatomy, periodontology (the study of oral disease and health), and radiology. All dental schools include practice where students work with patients in a clinical setting under the supervision of a licensed dentist.

Dentists must be licensed in all states; requirements vary by state. To qualify for a license in most states, applicants must graduate from an accredited dental school and pass written and practical exams.

High school students who want to become dentists should take courses in chemistry, physics, biology, anatomy, and mathematics.

If you desire to enter a specific dental specialty, additional training is normally required before practicing that specialty. Graduates must usually complete a 1- or 2-year residency in a program related to their specialty. General dentists do not require any additional training after dental school, however.

Dentists who want to teach or do research full time usually spend an additional 2 to 5 years in advanced dental training. Many practicing dentists also teach part time, including supervising students in dental school clinics.

Salary and Hourly Wage of a Dentist

According to the BLS.gov, this field will grow 16% between years 2012-2022. BLS.gov employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation, as of 2014:

Mean hourly wage Mean annual wage (salary) 
$80.20 $166,810

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50% (Median)
Hourly Wage $33.61 $52.09 $71.90
Annual Wage $69,910 $108,360 $149,540

Top paying industries

Industry Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Offices of Dentists $81.42 $169,360
Management of Companies and Enterprises $79.41 $165,180
State Government (OES Designation) $75.13 $156,270
Offices of Other Health Practitioners $73.74 $153,380
Employment Services $73.37 $152,610

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Offices of Dentists $81.42 $169,360
Offices of Physicians $69.78 $145,140
Outpatient Care Centers $70.13 $145,870
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals $64.49 $134,140
State Government (OES Designation) $75.13 $156,270

Top paying states:

Delaware 108.09 224,830
New Hampshire 104.92 218,230
Alaska 98.98 205,880

Lowest Paying States:

Utah 54.32 112,990
Montana 62.69 130,390
Arizona 68.22 141,890

Salary and Hourly Wages for Dentists by State:

Alabama Dentist Salary and Wage 83.28 173,220
Alaska Dentist Salary and Wage 98.98 205,880
Arizona Dentist Salary and Wage 68.22 141,890
Arkansas Dentist Salary and Wage 77.17 160,520
California Dentist Salary and Wage 74.65 155,270
Colorado Dentist Salary and Wage 75.98 158,050
Connecticut Dentist Salary and Wage 88.20 183,460
Delaware Dentist Salary and Wage 108.09 224,830
District of Columbia Dentist Salary and Wage n/a n/a
Florida Dentist Salary and Wage 78.64 163,570
Georgia Dentist Salary and Wage 91.64 190,620
Hawaii Dentist Salary and Wage 80.51 167,470
Idaho Dentist Salary and Wage 81.42 169,360
Illinois Dentist Salary and Wage 68.26 141,980
Indiana Dentist Salary and Wage 69.12 143,780
Iowa Dentist Salary and Wage 83.89 174,480
Kansas Dentist Salary and Wage 83.52 173,720
Kentucky Dentist Salary and Wage 72.57 150,950
Louisiana Dentist Salary and Wage 71.27 148,240
Maine Dentist Salary and Wage 98.02 203,890
Maryland Dentist Salary and Wage 76.84 159,830
Massachusetts Dentist Salary and Wage 84.27 175,280
Michigan Dentist Salary and Wage 77.42 161,040
Minnesota Dentist Salary and Wage 93.12 193,690
Mississippi Dentist Salary and Wage 73.31 152,490
Missouri Dentist Salary and Wage 81.08 168,650
Montana Dentist Salary and Wage 62.69 130,390
Nebraska Dentist Salary and Wage 72.66 151,130
Nevada Dentist Salary and Wage 69.60 144,770
New Hampshire Dentist Salary and Wage 104.92 218,230
New Jersey Dentist Salary and Wage 75.31 156,640
New Mexico Dentist Salary and Wage 90.35 187,920
New York Dentist Salary and Wage 78.86 164,030
North Carolina Dentist Salary and Wage 98.95 205,820
North Dakota Dentist Salary and Wage 88.27 183,600
Ohio Dentist Salary and Wage 89.47 186,100
Oklahoma Dentist Salary and Wage 71.07 147,820
Oregon Dentist Salary and Wage 81.31 169,110
Pennsylvania Dentist Salary and Wage 80.14 166,690
Puerto Rico Dentist Salary and Wage 25.25 52,520
Rhode Island Dentist Salary and Wage 88.07 183,180
South Carolina Dentist Salary and Wage 88.05 183,150
South Dakota Dentist Salary and Wage 79.13 164,590
Tennessee Dentist Salary and Wage 83.10 172,850
Texas Dentist Salary and Wage 89.31 185,760
Utah Dentist Salary and Wage 54.32 112,990
Vermont Dentist Salary and Wage 98.44 204,760
Virginia Dentist Salary and Wage 76.34 158,780
Washington Dentist Salary and Wage 85.53 177,890
West Virginia Dentist Salary and Wage 81.53 169,590
Wisconsin Dentist Salary and Wage 85.66 178,180
Wyoming Dentist Salary and Wage 88.22 183,490

References:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Dentist (General), on the Internet at bls.gov.

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