Benchmarking

Illinois, the top-ranked state for dental health, has one of the largest numbers of active dentists with more than 8,500. 

The mean annual wage for dental hygienists varied by more than $35,000 across different regions in the U.S., according to Dentalpost's Dental Salary Survey for 2024.

The average hourly rates for dental assistants based on years of experience varied by more than $7 an hour, according to Dentalpost's Dental Salary Survey for 2024.

The average hourly rates for dental hygienists based on years of experience varied by less than $2 an hour, according to Dentalpost's Dental Salary Survey for 2024.

There were more than 159,000 general practice dentists in the U.S. in 2023, according to data collected by the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

The average annual salary for orthodontists is more than $50,000 higher than dentists, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics have the largest representation out of 12 dental specialty fields, with 10,904 orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedists in 2023, according to data from the American Dental Association.

There were 202,304 total dentists in the U.S. in 2023, a slight dip from 2022, according to data from the American Dental Association.

Dental hygienists and dental assistants were both included on the best 28 healthcare support jobs list by U.S. News & World Report.

The average annual salary for oral surgeons is more than $100,000 higher than dentists, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.