The average cost of living in Connecticut, the highest-paying state for orthodontists, is $54,178 for a single adult with no children.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics updated its salary data for dental jobs to reflect 2025 information May 15. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge updated its cost of living calculator Feb. 15.
Here is how the average annual salary for orthodontists compares to the cost of living in each state:
Note: Salary information was taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salary data was not available for each state. The minimum cost of living in each state was provided by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator. The cost of living is for a single adult with no children before taxes.
| State | Annual salary | Cost of living |
| Alabama | $246,170 | $43,814 |
| Arizona | $242,650 | $50,900 |
| Colorado | $404,120 | $54,071 |
| Connecticut | $412,100 | $54,178 |
| Georgia | $167,240 | $50,351 |
| Illinois | $335,910 | $50,796 |
| Maine | $263,020 | $51,465 |
| Maryland | $315,180 | $53,949 |
| Michigan | $327,310 | $45,914 |
| Missouri | $295,460 | $44,244 |
| Montana | $257,230 | $50,409 |
| New York | $188,400 | $62,167 |
| North Carolina | $277,320 | $46,745 |
| Ohio | $206,430 | $43,674 |
| Pennsylvania | $327,330 | $48,515 |
| South Carolina | $292,350 | $46,469 |
| Tennessee | $302,050 | $44,959 |
| Washington | $276,250 | $55,316 |
| Wisconsin | $225,580 | $45,504 |
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