There were approximately 110,000 general dentists working in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports. Most general dentists work in dental offices, but smaller numbers work in physician offices, outpatient care centers, hospitals, and with state government entities. Like many other trained healthcare professionals with advanced technical skills, general dentists earn salaries and wages in excess of that earned by workers in most other occupations. Per BLS estimates, as of May 2021, the national mean wage for general dentists was $167,160 annually. Pay for the profession varies widely from state to state, with general dentists in some states making almost double what their counterparts earn elsewhere. As of May 2021, according to BLS data the ten states with the best annual mean salary and wages for general dentists were:
| Delaware | $233,860 |
| New Hampshire | $225,140 |
| Oregon | $207,370 |
| Rhode Island | $206,600 |
| Connecticut | $197,910 |
| Vermont | $190,030 |
| North Carolina | $189,980 |
| New Mexico | $189,430 |
| Kansas | $188,240 |
| Maine | $187,460 |
At the other end of the spectrum, here were the bottom ten states for general dentist pay:
| Wyoming | $148,730 |
| Louisiana | $148,060 |
| Nebraska | $146,170 |
| Colorado | $139,460 |
| West Virginia | $139,200 |
| Illinois | $136,930 |
| Kentucky | $136,480 |
| Utah | $134,570 |
| South Carolina | $132,830 |
| Idaho | $124,750 |
So where does your state rank for General Dentist pay?
Check out General Dentist Average Wages by State for more information.