Kentucky saw the largest increase in average annual dentist salary, rising from $136,480 in 2021 to $188,910 in 2022, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Alaska saw the biggest drop in average annual dentist salary, decreasing from $168,390 in 2021 to $118,030 in 2022, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Arizona is the highest-paying state for oral and maxillofacial surgeons, while Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, N.C.-S.C. is the highest-paying metropolitan region, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In 2022, there were 8,982 practicing pediatric dentists in the U.S., according to April data from the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute — an increase of 113.2 percent since 2001.

Minnesota is the highest-paying state for dental assistants, while San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, Calif., is the highest-paying metropolitan region, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

California has 527 dental health professional shortage areas, the most of any state, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Alaska is the highest-paying state for dental hygienists, while Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, Calif., is the highest-paying metropolitan region, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Delaware was the highest paying state in 2022, while Spokane-Spokane Valley, Wash., was the highest paying region.

Delaware, Minnesota and Alaska were the highest-paying states for three dental roles in 2022, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Orthodontists have the highest rate of DSO affiliation when compared to dentists in seven other dental specialties, according to May data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

Dental hygienists in Alaska are paid $54.70 an hour, the highest hourly wage of any U.S. state, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Nevada has the highest percentage of dentists that are affiliated with a DSO with 23 percent, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute. 

The average hourly wage for dentists largely exceeds the minimum wage in each state, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Labor.  

Dentists in Mississippi — the worst state for dental health, according to rankings from personal finance website WalletHub — have an average salary of $157,110.

Dentists in Wisconsin, the best state for dental health according to rankings from personal finance website WalletHub, have an average salary of $174,810.

Dental hygienists earn more than three times the cost of living in Alaska, the state with the highest annual salary for this role. 

The average annual salary for dentists ranks below that of other medical specialties, while the salary for orthodontists ranks above 10 other medical specialties, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Medscape's 2023 "Physician Compensation" report. 

The average annual salary for dental assistants is higher than the cost of living in every state but Hawaii, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

The federal executive branch is the highest-paying industry for dental laboratory technicians in the U.S., according to salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Spokane-Spokane Valley region in Washington was the highest paying metropolitan area for general dentists in 2022, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.