Here are more than 100 pay statistics for dental professionals, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
How the salaries of 6 dental professions stack up
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons: $360,240
Orthodontists: $254,620
Specialty dentists: $246,530
General dentists: $196,100
Dental hygienists: $93,890
Dental assistants: $48,860
Dentist pay vs. 29 medical specialties
Specialty dentists: $246,530
General dentists: $196,100
Orthopedics and orthopedic surgery: $564,000
Plastic surgery: $544,000
Radiology: $526,000
Cardiology: $520,000
Gastroenterology: $513,000
Urology: $505,000
Anesthesiology: $501,000
Otolaryngology: $484,000
Oncology and hematology: $472,000
Dermatology: $454,000
General surgery: $434,000
Critical care: $418,000
Ophthalmology: $409,000
Pulmonary medicine: $402,000
Pathology: $388,000
Emergency medicine: $388,000
OB-GYN: $372,000
Nephrology: $363,000
Physical medicine and rehabilitation: $362,000
Psychiatry: $341,000
Neurology: $332,000
Allergy and immunology: $319,000
Internal medicine: $294,000
Rheumatology: $284,000
Family medicine: $281,000
Infectious diseases: $277,000
Diabetes and endocrinology: $274,000
Public health and preventive medicine: $269,000
Pediatrics : $265,000
5 best, worst-paying states for dentists
Best
Vermont: $240,740
Minnesota: $224,700
North Dakota: $224,300
Maine: $224,080
Delaware: $228,740
Worst
Hawaii: $136,200
Mississippi: $143,020
Nevada: $146,480
Utah: $148,860
Wyoming: $154,030
The practice settings where specialty dentists earn the most
Offices of dentists: $273,210
Outpatient care centers: $252,330
Federal executive branch: $214,570
Offices of physicians: $193,080
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing: $167,420
The practice settings where oral surgeons earn the most
Offices of dentists: $375,120
Offices of physicians: $347,480
Colleges, universities and professional schools: $81,910
The 10 metro areas where dental assistants earn the most
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.: $69,810
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis.: $66,520
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif.: $65,070
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, Calif.: $63,760
Rochester, Minn.: $61,750
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash.: $59,810
St. Cloud, Minn.: $59,080
Vallejo, Calif.: $58,960
Mankato, Minn.: $58,860
Bismarck, N.D.: $58,720
The 10 cities where dental hygienists earn the most
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, Calif.: $146,940
Napa, Calif.: $145,550
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.: $143,980
Modesto, Calif.: $141,030
Vallejo: $139,670
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, Calif.: $139,630
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash.: $135,560
Chico, Calif.: $136,370
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, Calif.: $135,130
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif.: $134,100
The 10 cities, nonmetropolitan areas where dentists earn the most
Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area: $279,680
Cape Coral-Fort Meyers, Fla.: $275,110
Sussex Delaware nonmetropolitan area: $268,590
Sherman-Denison, Texas: $262,060
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area: $260,810
St. Cloud, Minn.: $256,870
Rochester, Minn.: $255,530
Auburn-Opelika, Ala.: $252,650
Burlington-South Burlington, Vt.: $252,430
Columbia, S.C.: $250,330
The 10 highest-paying practice settings for dental assistants
State government, excluding schools and hospitals: $58,320
Home healthcare services: $57,860
Management of companies and enterprises: $55,870
Federal executive branch: $55,720
Office administrative services: $55,200
Grantmaking and giving services: $55,060
Specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals: $54,810
General medical and surgical hospitals: $53,560
Junior colleges (including private, state and local government owned): $51,970
Employment services: $51,680
The 10 highest-paying practice settings for dental hygienists
Management of companies and enterprises: $98,600
Employment services: $98,390
Facilities support services: $94,610
Offices of dentists: $94,150
Outpatient care centers: $91,970
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing: $90,180
General medical and surgical hospitals: $88,390
Offices of other health practitioners: $88,360
Offices of physicians: $87,660
Office administrative services: $84,460
The top-paying practice settings for dentists
Individual and family services: $230,430
State government, excluding schools and hospitals: $212,760
Insurance carriers: $207,120
Other ambulatory health care services: $207,000
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing: $206,020
Offices of dentists: $197,450
Offices of physicians: $190,390
Local government, excluding schools and hospitals: $189,940
Outpatient care settings: $187,950
Employment services: $182,330
