Dentist salary in the US (2026)

The national salary range for a Dentist runs from $86,250 at the 10th percentile to $319,630 at the 90th percentile. Most Dentists fall between $125,710 and $224,040, which represents the 25th to 75th percentile band and is the most practical range to use when building a compensation structure. Anchoring your offer within that middle band gives you room to differentiate based on experience without overpaying for entry-level candidates.

The average Dentist salary in the US is $191,350 per year. Because high earners pull the average above the median of $170,950, the median is the more reliable figure for setting a baseline offer. Use $170,950 as your starting point and adjust upward based on the candidate's experience and your practice's location.

Dentists at the 90th percentile earn $319,630 annually. If you are recruiting a highly experienced clinician or a specialist-level general dentist, expect compensation conversations to start well above the $224,040 75th-percentile mark. Budgeting at least $224,040 to $319,630 for senior talent will keep your offer credible in that part of the market.

Massachusetts pays the most on average at $223,200, followed by Georgia at $214,040 and New York at $202,040. Georgia also has the highest median at $206,760, which means high pay there is broadly distributed rather than driven by a small number of outliers. If you are opening a practice or hiring remotely in one of these states, plan for compensation well above the national median of $170,950.