The full range runs from $60,000 at the 10th percentile to $153,000 at the 90th percentile. Most Dentist offers will land between $82,000 and $107,000, which covers the 25th to 75th percentile band and represents the core of the competitive market for this role.
Dentist salary in the US (2026)
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Dentist salary in the US (2026)
The average Dentist salary in the US is $191,350. The median of $86,250 is the more reliable anchor for most hiring decisions, because it reflects what the typical general dentist earns rather than being pulled upward by high-volume practice owners or specialists. Dentist compensation shows a wide spread between the median and the mean, so you should expect to pay above $86,250 to attract candidates with established patient panels or specialized clinical skills.
Dentist salary in the US (2026)
Metric | Value |
Average annual salary | $191,350 |
Median annual salary | $86,250 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 124,390 employed Dentists across the US.
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Dentist salary percentiles
Percentile | Annual salary |
10th percentile | $60,000 |
25th percentile | $82,000 |
75th percentile | $107,000 |
90th percentile | $153,000 |
For most Dentist hires, anchoring your offer between $82,000 and $107,000 covers the middle of the market, but the national average of $191,350 runs well above the 90th percentile of $153,000, which signals that a small number of very high earners pull the mean sharply upward — so use the median and percentile range, not the average, when setting your initial offer.
How Dentist salaries compare across states
State | Average annual salary | Median annual salary |
Massachusetts | $223,200 | $101,470 |
Georgia | $214,040 | $93,590 |
New York | $202,040 | $75,410 |
Virginia | $197,820 | $105,400 |
Florida | $195,930 | $98,680 |
Washington | $195,810 | $85,240 |
Illinois | $193,050 | $123,920 |
Texas | $178,360 | $83,990 |
California | $170,690 | $74,510 |
Colorado | $160,810 | $84,590 |
Your budget for a Dentist hire should reflect the state you are hiring in, because median salaries alone vary from $74,510 in California to $123,920 in Illinois. If you are hiring in Massachusetts, Georgia, or Virginia, plan for above-average compensation pressure even at the median level, where those states post figures of $101,470, $93,590, and $105,400 respectively.
Frequently asked questions about Dentist salary in the US
What is the salary range for a Dentist in the US?
What is the average Dentist salary in the US?
The average Dentist salary nationally is $191,350, but this figure sits well above the 90th percentile of $153,000, which means a small number of high earners pull it upward. For day-to-day offer decisions, the median of $86,250 gives you a more grounded starting point.
Which states pay the most for Dentists?
Massachusetts leads with an average annual salary of $223,200, followed by Georgia at $214,040 and New York at $202,040. If you are hiring in any of these states, budget accordingly and check the median figures too — Illinois, for example, posts a median of $123,920, the highest among the states in this data set.
What do the top-earning Dentists make nationally?
Dentists at the 90th percentile earn $153,000 annually, but the national average of $191,350 exceeds that figure, which tells you that a subset of earners above the 90th percentile pulls compensation considerably higher. When competing for senior or high-volume Dentist talent, you should expect candidates to reference figures well above $153,000 and plan your offer ceiling with that in mind.
More salary data
Data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2025, for Dentists, General (SOC 29-1021).
Disclaimer
Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.
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