Mississippi's average dentist salary of $149,300 sits below every comparison state in this dataset, including Louisiana at $176,540 and Arkansas at $174,280. This makes Mississippi a lower-cost market for employers, but it also means candidates with experience in Georgia or Tennessee may expect offers closer to $210,000 or above. Budget accordingly when recruiting dentists who are relocating from higher-paying states.
Dentist salary in Mississippi (2026)
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The average dentist salary in Mississippi is $149,300 per year. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $143,660 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Mississippi employs 740 dentists across the state, and the $5,640 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior dentists in Mississippi typically earn around $59,700, while senior specialists reach and exceed the $240,450 level at the 90th percentile. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a dentist hire in Mississippi, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Metric / Value
Metric | Value |
Median Annual Salary | $143,660 |
Average Annual Salary | $149,300 |
vs. National Average | 22.0% below the national mean of $191,350 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 740 employed dentists across Mississippi.
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Dentist salary percentiles in Mississippi
Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $59,700 |
25th Percentile | $77,620 |
75th Percentile | $195,110 |
90th Percentile | $240,450 |
Employers hiring experienced dentists in Mississippi should expect offers in the $195,110 to $240,450 range for senior-level candidates, while entry-level roles typically start near $59,700. The wide spread from the 10th to the 90th percentile signals that practice type, specialization, and years of experience all carry meaningful weight in setting a competitive offer.
Dentist salary by city in Mississippi
City | Average Annual Salary |
Meridian | $208,090 |
Jackson | $136,240 |
Hattiesburg | $131,000 |
Gulfport | $121,620 |
Where you open or staff a dental practice in Mississippi has a direct impact on your compensation budget. Meridian reports an average of $208,090, which is roughly $86,000 higher than Gulfport at $121,620, so employers in smaller markets may find more budget flexibility while still attracting qualified candidates.
How Mississippi compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
Mississippi | $149,300 | $143,660 |
Georgia | $214,040 | $206,760 |
Tennessee | $210,700 | $215,290 |
Louisiana | $176,540 | $170,750 |
Arkansas | $174,280 | $178,930 |
Mississippi is a cost-effective market for dentist hiring relative to every neighboring state in this comparison, which gives employers here a real budget advantage when recruiting locally. Georgia and Tennessee both report averages above $210,000, compared to Mississippi's $149,300, so candidates relocating from those states may carry higher salary expectations that your offer will need to address.
Frequently asked questions about dentist salary in Mississippi
How does Mississippi compare to other states for dentist salary?
What do the top-earning dentists make in Mississippi?
Dentists at the 90th percentile in Mississippi earn $240,450 per year. The 75th percentile sits at $195,110, so senior specialists with strong patient volume or ownership stakes tend to cluster in that upper range. If you are competing for top-tier talent, plan your offer ceiling around the $195,110 to $240,450 band.
What is the salary range for a dentist in Mississippi?
The full salary range for dentists in Mississippi runs from $59,700 at the 10th percentile to $240,450 at the 90th percentile. The middle of the market sits between $77,620 at the 25th percentile and $195,110 at the 75th percentile. Use the quartile that matches your candidate's experience level to set a defensible offer.
What is the average dentist salary in Mississippi?
The average dentist salary in Mississippi is $149,300 per year, with a median of $143,660. The $5,640 gap between those two figures reflects a modest pull from higher-earning dentists at the top of the market. For most hiring decisions, anchoring to the $143,660 median will give you a more accurate picture of what a typical candidate expects.
Dentist salary by state
Data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2025, SOC code 29-1021 (Dentists, General).
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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