Here are 100 stats that show how compensation for dental professionals stack up:
Average dentist salary in the 10 largest U.S. cities
1. New York City: $188,967
2. Los Angeles: $183,481
3. Chicago: $187,424
4. Houston: $196,075
5. Phoenix: $184,196
6. Philadelphia: $186,841
7. San Antonio: $188,052
8. San Diego: $185,489
9. Dallas: $180,140
10. San Jose: $184,569
Average salary for five dental professions
Dentist: $172,328
Dental hygienist: $72,907
Dental assistant: $37,883
Oral surgeon: $307,569
Orthodontist: $303,698
Average hourly salary for six dental professions
General dentists: $80.37
Dental hygienists: $39.12
Dental assistants: $20.44
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons: $149.74
Orthodontists: $128.50
All other speciality dentists: $86.25
Top paying industries for dental assistants, hygienists
1. State government, excluding schools and hospitals: $50,170
2. Specialty, excluding psychiatric and substance abuse: $48,210
3. Home health care services: $47,930
4. General medical and surgical hospitals: $47,180
5. Federal executive branch: $45,970
1. Community food and housing, and emergency and other relief services: $84,770
2. Facilities support services: $83,410
3. Employment services: $83,330
4. Other ambulatory healthcare services: $82,510
5. Offices of dentists: $81,560
Top paying cities for dental assistants, hygienists
1. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, Calif.: $55,150
2. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Bloomington, Wis.: $55,020
3. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.: $54,590
4. Santa Rosa, Calif.: $52,550
5. Rochester, Minn.: $52,510
6. Barnstable, Mass.: $52,380
7. Boston-Cambridge, Mass.-Nashua, N.H.: $52,330
8. Bismarck, N.D.: $52,240
9. Fairbanks, Alaska: $51,940
10. Portsmouth, N.H.-Maine: $51,110
1. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, Calif.: $125,750
2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.: $122,660
3. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, Calif.: $119,320
4. Anchorage, Ala.: $116,270
5. Santa Rosa, Calif.: $115,730
6. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif.: $114,370
7. Fairbanks, Alaska: $113,880
8. Napa, Calif.: $112,520
9. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash.: $111,600
10. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, Calif.: $111,240
Top paying cities for dentists
1. Manchester, N.H.: $276,510
2. Salinas, Calif.: $234,410
3. Vallejo-Fairfield, Calif.: $229,800
4. Eugene, Ore.: $228,750
5. New Haven, Conn.: $227,390
6. Akron, Ohio: $225,350
7. Gainesville, Fla.: $222,690
8. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif.: $221,210
9. Medford, Ore.: $220,430
10.Portsmouth, N.H.-Maine: $220,070
Five workplaces where dentists earn the most
Offices of health practitioners:
Annual wage: $213,930
Hourly wage: $102.85
State government, excluding schools and hospitals:
Annual wage: $193,800
Hourly wage: $93.17
Dental offices:
Annual wage: $183,340
Hourly wage: $88.15
Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals:
Annual wage: $172,820
Hourly wage: $83.09
Employment services:
Annual wage: $172,490
Hourly wage: $82.93
How orthodontist pay has evolved in the last five years
Here is the annual orthodontist salary from 2016-20, the most recent year data was available:
2020: $237,990
2019: $230,830
2018: $225,760
2017: $229,380
2016: $228,780
Oral surgeon pay has declined in the last five years, data shows
Here is the annual oral surgeon salary from 2016-20, the most recent year data was available:
2020: $234,990
2019: $237,570
2018: $242,370
2017: $242,740
2016: $232,870
How dental hygienist pay has changed in the last five years
Here is annual dentist hygienist salary from 2016-20, the most recent year data was available:
2020: $78,050
2019: $77,230
2018: $75,500
2017: $74,680
2016: $73,440
How dental assistant pay has changed in the last five years
Here is the annual dentist salary from 2016-20, the most recent year data was available:
2020: $42,310
2019: $41,170
2018: $39,770
2017: $38,690
2016: $37,890
How dental pay has changed in the last five years
Here is the annual dentist salary from 2016-20, the most recent year data was available:
2020: $180,830
2019: $178,260
2018: $175,840
2017: $174,110
2016: $173,860
Four dental jobs make US News' best-paying list for 2022
Here are the dental jobs, along with their median salaries, that made U.S. News and World Report's best-paying list for 2022:
Orthodontist — $208,000
Oral and maxillofacial surgeon — $208,000
Prosthodontist — $208,000
Dentist — $158,940
Dentist salary in 2020 vs. 2021, by state
1. The highest paying state for general dentists shifted from Rhode Island in 2020 to Delaware in 2021.
2. Salaries had the largest decrease in Idaho, dropping more than $80,000 from 2020 to 2021. The average pay was $206,360 in 2020 and $124,750 in 2021.
3. New Mexico had the highest salary increase, moving up from $166,910 in 2020 to $189,430 in 2021 for an increase of $22,520.
4. In 2020, there were 15 states with average salaries of more than $200,000. In 2021, there were just four states with average salaries of more than $200,000.
5. In total, 16 states saw salaries increase from 2020-21, while 32 states had a downturn.