The 11 Highest-Paying States for Dentists

Insider Monkey has released an overview of where dentists are paid the most in America. Some of the states might surprise you. Image source: Frank Kovalchek via Wikimedia Commons

There’s been a plethora of good dental economic news circulating lately, with the latest report — a study conducted by Insider Monkey­ — determining which states pay dentist the most.

According to U.S. News & World Report, dentistry the best job in 2017. The report based this ranking on several factors, including salary, job market, future growth, job-associated stress, and work-life balance.

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The employment market for dentists is expected to grow by 18 percent through 2024, with up to 23,300 new jobs expected to be created during that time. It’s no wonder that the field of dentistry is booming: The median annual salary is reported at $152,700 with a 0.1 percent unemployment rate. One of the factors driving growth is the increased consumer demand for cosmetic dentistry services. Dentists also ranked their work-life balance as an eight out of 10, one of the highest rankings out of any health specialty.

So what states are the best for dentists, in terms of salary? A new report from Insider Monkey details the states that provide the highest annual salaries to dentists, keeping in mind that the cost of living in some of these states might be higher than in other areas of the country.

Click the next page to see the rankings, starting with number 1.

1. Delaware

· Average annual salary: $227,160

· Dentists in this state are paid about $55,000 more than the national average.

2. New Hampshire

· Average annual salary: $217,790

· Even though dentists in this state earn much more than the national average, the cost of living is also higher than in other states.

Image source: Frank Kovalchek via Wikimedia Commons

3. Alaska

· Average annual salary: $217,120

· Fewer than 200 dentists live in Alaska — it is the least densely populated state in the country – but they are some of the top earners in the country.

Image source: Good Free Photos

4. North Dakota

· Average annual salary: $214,450

· Dentists in North Dakota earn substantially more than those in South Dakota, where dentists earn less than the national average.

Image source: tpsdave via Pixabay

5. North Carolina

· Average annual salary: $211,370

· There are 3,160 dentists practicing in the state, each earning an average hourly wage of $101.62.

6. Wisconsin

· Average annual salary: $203,570

· Salaries for dentists in the state have grown from an average of $195,000 to over $203,000, an increase of more than $8,000.

7. Nevada

· Average annual salary: $195,360

· Nevada has a smaller number of dentists — only 850 in the state. Even though this is the case, dental salaries here mirror those in South Carolina.

8. South Carolina

· Average annual salary: $195,350

· South Carolina has a low cost of living, so dentists’ salaries here will stretch further than in other states.

9. Oregon

· Average annual salary: $193,960

· Dentists in Oregon enjoy salaries above the national average, with compensation ranging from $185,290 to $227,160.

10. Minnesota

· Average annual salary: $193,320

· The 1,760 dentists in this state earn an average of $92.94 per hour, far above the national average.

11. Ohio

· Average annual salary: $191,270

· 3,280 dentists practice in the state currently and enjoy a relatively low cost-of-living compared to the rest of the country.