The median hourly wage for dental assistants was $21.55 in 2022, a 7.3% increase from 2021, according to the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
Benchmarking
The average annual salary for dentists decreased in 15 states between 2021 and 2022, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The median hourly wage for dental hygienists was $39.14 in 2022, a 3.1% decrease from 2021, according to the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
California, Texas and New York have the highest number of orthodontists and dentofacial orthopedists in the U.S., according to data from KFF.
There were 6,745 dental school graduates in the U.S. in 2022, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
Wyoming has the fewest oral surgeons out of all U.S. states, according to data from KFF.
California has the most general dentists out of all U.S. states, according to data from KFF.
New dentists in affiliated private practices have an average of $309,355 of educational debt plus an additional $78,188 in other debt, the highest of any practice setting, according to research from the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute.
Orthodontists can make more than triple the average household income in several states, according to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau.
The East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine is the cheapest dental school for first-year, non-resident dental students, according to data from the American Dental Association.