
The average salary for a Dentist is $132,282.



Table of Contents
Job Description for Dentist
Job Satisfaction for Dentist
Popular Employer Salaries for Dentist
The top respondents for the job title Dentist are from the companies Self-Employed, Aspen Dental and Aspen. Reported salaries are highest at The Veterans Administration (United States) where the average pay is $174,807. Other companies that offer high salaries for this role include Methodist Healthcare Ministries and Self-Employed, earning around $159,119 and $153,613, respectively. Morris Heights Health Center pays the lowest at around $123,158. Dental Group Ltd and Aspen also pay on the lower end of the scale, paying $135,000 and $140,000, respectively.
Popular Skills for Dentist
Skills in Composite Fillings, Oral Surgery and Diagnosis and Treatment Planning are correlated to pay that is above average. Skills that pay less than market rate include Medicine / Surgery and Public Health.
Pay by Experience Level for Dentist
An entry-level Dentist with less than 1 year experience can expect to earn an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of $119,063 based on 256 salaries. An early career Dentist with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $123,534 based on 944 salaries. A mid-career Dentist with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $136,676 based on 444 salaries. An experienced Dentist with 10-19 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $149,480 based on 437 salaries. In their late career (20 years and higher), employees earn an average total compensation of $153,231.
Pay Difference by Location
Employees with Dentist in their job title in Chicago, Illinois earn an average of 13.4% more than the national average. These job titles also find higher than average salaries in Houston, Texas (10.9% more) and San Diego, California (7.1% more). The lowest salaries can be found in Los Angeles, California (5.4% less), Seattle, Washington (4.6% less) and New York, New York (4.2% less).
Years of Experience
This data is based on 2,698 survey responses.