Two public sources give the widely cited dentist pay figures. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports wages for employees. The ADA Health Policy Institute (HPI) reports net income for dentists in private practice. The numbers differ because the groups and the pay measures differ. This post lays out both so the gap makes sense.
How much does a dentist make according to the BLS?
The BLS reports a median annual wage of $176,110 for dentists in May 2025. The Occupational Outlook Handbook adds that the lowest 10 percent earned less than $89,100 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $337,210. The median is the point where half of workers earned more and half earned less.
The BLS also splits the group by type of dentist. General dentists are the largest group, with 141,900 of the 161,400 dentist jobs in 2025.
| Dentist type | Median annual wage, May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Oral and maxillofacial surgeons | $352,220 |
| Prosthodontists | $311,180 |
| Orthodontists | $289,140 |
| Dentists, all other specialists | $224,990 |
| Dentists, general | $170,950 |
The BLS also lists median wages by workplace. In May 2025, dentists in offices of dentists had a median of $173,760. In outpatient care centers it was $195,330.
What do the detailed BLS wage tables show for general dentists?
The detailed Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) table lists general dentists nationally. For May 2025 it shows employment of 124,390, an annual mean wage of $191,350 and an annual median wage of $170,950. The mean is higher than the median, which means higher wages pull the average up.
The BLS notes that wages vary with location, hours worked, specialty and years in practice. A single national number cannot describe any one office.
What does the ADA report?
The ADA Health Policy Institute reports that the average income for general practitioner (GP) dentists was $215,320 in 2025. Its Survey of Dental Practice also reports $346,520 for specialists in private practice. HPI states that inflation-adjusted incomes for GPs were unchanged in 2025 and have been decreasing over the past 15 years.
For 2024, HPI reported average net income of $207,980 for GPs. The same report says owner GPs averaged about $217,781 and non-owner GPs about $160,891, in constant 2024 dollars. Owner dentists worked an average of 37.0 hours per week and employee dentists 31.8 hours.
Why do the two sources give different numbers?
The two sources count different workers and different kinds of pay. The table compares them.
| Question | BLS OEWS wages | ADA HPI Survey of Dental Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Who is counted? | Dentists on payrolls | Dentists in private practice, owners and non-owners |
| Are self-employed dentists included? | No | Yes |
| What is measured? | Wages paid by employers | Net income reported by dentists |
| Typical statistic here | Median and mean wage | Average net income |
The BLS says its wage figures do not include pay for self-employed workers, because the OEWS survey does not collect that data. About 12 percent of dentist jobs are held by self-employed workers, according to the same handbook page. That is why an owner’s profit does not appear in the BLS wage table.
What should a reader keep in mind?
A few cautions help avoid wrong conclusions.
- A median and an average are not the same number. Check which one a source reports.
- A wage is pay from an employer. Net income is what remains after practice expenses, so it can include business profit.
- Hours worked differ. Owners reported longer weeks in the HPI data.
- Location, years in practice and type of dentist all move the figure.
- National data does not predict the result for one practice. For state wage data, see dentist pay in Missouri.
None of these figures sets what any dentist should earn or be paid. Contracts, tax treatment and pay structure are questions for an attorney and a CPA.
Where do owners fit in?
Owners earn from clinical work and from the business. The surveys here do not split those two parts. The owner compensation entry explains the term, and how much dental practice owners make looks at what data exists. For employed dentists, the associate compensation entry and the post on associate compensation models cover pay structure.
A benchmark is only as good as its source, its year and its definition. Always note all three.
How have the figures changed over time?
HPI compares its survey with BLS wage data in constant 2024 dollars. Both series show lower inflation-adjusted pay in 2024 than in 2010, though the ADA survey series is higher in most years because it reports net income for private practice dentists.
| Year | ADA Survey of Dental Practice, GP average net income | BLS-based series |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | $267,168 | $228,402 |
| 2015 | $238,169 | $228,103 |
| 2019 | $251,176 | $218,724 |
| 2022 | $233,907 | $184,673 |
| 2024 | $207,980 | $196,100 |
All values are in constant 2024 dollars, as stated in the HPI report. The 2020 pandemic year is an outlier in the survey series, at $206,245. A reader should look at the trend and not at one year.
What is the job outlook?
The BLS projects that overall employment of dentists will grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations. It projects about 4,800 openings for dentists each year. Many of those openings are expected to result from workers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force, such as to retire. Outlook is a separate question from pay, but it shows how many positions the BLS expects to exist.
Next step
The dental practice ownership guide explains how ownership changes the money picture. To discuss practice finances and management, contact Dr. Copeland about consulting.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for a dentist?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $176,110 for dentists in May 2025. For general dentists the median is $170,950. Half of workers in each group earned more and half earned less. The figures exclude self-employed dentists.
Why do the BLS and the ADA report different numbers?
They count different people and different pay. The BLS wage survey covers employees and omits the self-employed. The ADA survey covers dentists in private practice, including owners, and reports net income after expenses.
Do dentists who own a practice earn more?
In the ADA survey, owner general dentists reported higher average income than non-owners in 2024, and they also worked more hours. The gap between the two groups has been shrinking over time.
Terms on this page
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Dentists, Occupational Outlook Handbook
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national, May 2025
- ADA Health Policy Institute: Trends in Dentists' Income, Revenue and Hours Worked
- ADA Health Policy Institute: Trends in Dentists Income, Revenue and Hours Worked (PDF, November 2025)
Written by Copeland Consulting Services and checked against the sources above on October 26, 2026. Rules, data and guidance change, so check the linked page before you act on it.