There were approximately 120,700 general dentists working in the U.S. as of May 2022 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 2022, the national mean wage for general dentists was $172,290 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 2022, according to BLS data, the ten states with the best annual mean salary and wages for general dentists were:
| Delaware | $206,270 |
| Rhode Island | $204,770 |
| North Carolina | $202,550 |
| New Hampshire | $200,970 |
| Arkansas | $192,400 |
| Minnesota | $191,090 |
| Alabama | $190,370 |
| Kentucky | $188,910 |
| Tennessee | $186,760 |
| Iowa | $186,690 |
At the other end of the spectrum, here were the bottom ten states for general dentist pay:
| Texas | $162,900 |
| South Carolina | $161,210 |
| Maryland | $157,960 |
| Mississippi | $157,110 |
| Nebraska | $155,620 |
| Colorado | $153,700 |
| West Virginia | $145,300 |
| South Dakota | $144,860 |
| Idaho | $141,170 |
| Utah | $131,490 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 7, 2023
