Pre-Covid: How much do General Dentists make? (State by State)

In previous posts, we looked at the income for General Dentists and income for Dental Specialists such as Oral Surgeons, Orthodontists, Endodontists, Periodontists, Prosthodontists and Pediatric Dentists on a national level. We also looked at income for General Dentists on a State by State level in 2021. Due to the effect's of Covid, there was a negative impact on dentist income in the 2021 data. There is reason to believe that income for dentists is returning to a pre-Covid level. In this post, we will look at the income for General Dentists on a State by State basis using the 2020 data. This data does NOT reflect the negative impact that Covid had on income.‍

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (B.L.S.) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey allows us to look at General Dentist income on a State by State basis.  From the B.L.S. data, the mean income for General Dentists in 2020 was $181K. This number rose steadily since 2004 when the average income was $133K. This amounts to about a 2% increase in annual income. Covid-19’s impact on the dental industry was reflected in the 2021 data, where the average dropped to $167K.

The states with the highest average earnings in 2020 were Rhode Island ($259K), Vermont ($254K), Alaska ($243K), Maine ($236K), New Hampshire ($222K) and Connecticut ($221K). Of the 6 highest earning states, all but Alaska are from the Northeast.  The states with the lowest average earnings were West Virginia ($128K), Kentucky ($129K), Wyoming ($134K), Louisiana ($146K), and Utah ($148K).  The 5 lowest earning states are all from the Southeast or West.