Benchmarking

Delaware was the highest paying state in 2022, while Spokane-Spokane Valley, Wash., was the highest paying region.

Delaware, Minnesota and Alaska were the highest-paying states for three dental roles in 2022, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Orthodontists have the highest rate of DSO affiliation when compared to dentists in seven other dental specialties, according to May data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

Dental hygienists in Alaska are paid $54.70 an hour, the highest hourly wage of any U.S. state, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Nevada has the highest percentage of dentists that are affiliated with a DSO with 23 percent, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute. 

The average hourly wage for dentists largely exceeds the minimum wage in each state, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Labor.  

Dentists in Mississippi — the worst state for dental health, according to rankings from personal finance website WalletHub — have an average salary of $157,110.

Dentists in Wisconsin, the best state for dental health according to rankings from personal finance website WalletHub, have an average salary of $174,810.

Dental hygienists earn more than three times the cost of living in Alaska, the state with the highest annual salary for this role. 

The average annual salary for dentists ranks below that of other medical specialties, while the salary for orthodontists ranks above 10 other medical specialties, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Medscape's 2023 "Physician Compensation" report.