Benchmarking

Dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants were included on a list of 46 healthcare jobs ranked by job outlook and opportunity.

Forty-nine dental schools received a total of more than $276 million, according to data from the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. 

General dentists in the U.S. earn an average of $172,290 each year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There are currently 6,820 dental professional shortage areas in the U.S., according to data from the Health Resources and Services Administration. 

Years of experience have a larger impact on hourly wages for dental assistants than dental hygienists, according to Dentalpost's Dental Salary Survey for 2024.

Arkansas, the lowest-ranked state for dental health, has over 1,200 active dentists.

More than 78% of owner dentists worked 32 or more hours each week in 2023, according to Dentalpost's Dental Salary Survey for 2024. 

There were 202,304 total dentists in the U.S. in 2023, compared to more than 56,000 active surgeons, according to data from the American Dental Association and KFF, respectively.

The average annual salary for orthopedic surgeons is nearly $200,000 higher than dentists, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There were 202,304 total dentists in the U.S. in 2023, compared to more than 1.1 million active physicians, according to data from the American Dental Association and KFF.