Healthcare Practitioners

Dentists

SOC 29-1021

Diagnose and treat teeth and gums, often running a practice on top of it.

The job

Median pay

$171k

$126k to $224k typical range

Outlook, 2025 to 2035

Growing fast

+5.7% projected

Openings a year

4.2k

BLS projection

Typical education

Doctoral (DDS/DMD)

Our model

AI displacement risk

Low

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person

Works with AI

37/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

62nd pct

More exposed than 62% of occupations · modeled estimate · 10th pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

76/100

At a glance

For Dentists, the median wage is $170,950, more than double the typical occupation we cover, and 75% above the Healthcare Practitioners median. The usual way in is a dental degree. Looking to 2035, the projected change for Dentists is +5.7%, ahead of the typical occupation we cover. Hiring volume is roughly 4,200 openings a year. Displacement risk is low and works-with-AI scores 37/100, leaning toward augmentation; modeled exposure is at the 62nd percentile. Annual openings here are about 4 times those for Pediatricians.

Take the next step

Weigh it against Dental HygienistsPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostAlaska leads at $231k; all states are listed below Find careers like itOpen the map at Dentists and explore its neighbours See open jobsDentists roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Dentists, who lean most on critical thinking Real pay & reviewsSelf-reported pay and reviews on Glassdoor

Similar pay in Healthcare Practitioners

Key skills

Critical Thinking
Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Speaking
Monitoring
Active Learning

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 50 states and DC. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
California	16,770	0.9	1.1×	$166k
Florida	9,320	0.9	1.2×	$175k
Texas	8,920	0.6	0.8×	$162k
New York	7,340	0.8	0.9×	$183k
Illinois	6,940	1.1	1.4×	$156k
Pennsylvania	4,460	0.7	0.9×	$163k
North Carolina	4,140	0.8	1.1×	$207k
Virginia	4,140	1.0	1.3×	$197k
Michigan	3,620	0.8	1.0×	$170k
Arizona	3,470	1.1	1.3×	$194k

All 50 states and DC

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
Washington	3,240	0.9	1.1×	$170k
New Jersey	2,980	0.7	0.9×	$171k
Colorado	2,940	1.0	1.3×	$166k
Ohio	2,790	0.5	0.6×	$167k
Massachusetts	2,780	0.8	1.0×	$182k
Georgia	2,620	0.5	0.7×	$207k
Wisconsin	2,560	0.9	1.1×	$194k
Missouri	2,440	0.8	1.0×	$205k
Minnesota	2,370	0.8	1.0×	$219k
Indiana	2,300	0.7	0.9×	$167k
Tennessee	2,200	0.7	0.8×	$215k
South Carolina	2,140	0.9	1.2×	$159k
Maryland	2,100	0.8	0.9×	$169k
Connecticut	1,950	1.1	1.4×	$160k
Alabama	1,840 (estimated)	0.9 (estimated)	1.1× (estimated)	$133k (estimated)
Oregon	1,660	0.8	1.1×	$212k
Louisiana	1,500	0.8	1.0×	$171k
Iowa	1,240	0.8	1.0×	$182k
Kansas	1,234 (estimated)	0.9 (estimated)	1.1× (estimated)	$154k (estimated)
Arkansas	1,210	0.9	1.2×	$179k
Nevada	1,100	0.7	0.9×	$162k
Utah	1,020	0.6	0.7×	$133k
Oklahoma	980	0.6	0.7×	$166k
Hawaii	830	1.3	1.6×	$168k
Kentucky	790	0.4	0.5×	$134k
Nebraska	790	0.8	1.0×	$180k
New Mexico	780	0.9	1.1×	$155k
Mississippi	740	0.6	0.8×	$144k
Idaho	650	0.8	0.9×	$124k
New Hampshire	500	0.7	0.9×	$177k
West Virginia	420	0.6	0.8×	$170k
Delaware	390	0.8	1.0×	$192k (estimated)
South Dakota	390	0.9	1.1×	$158k
Montana	380	0.7	0.9×	$167k
Rhode Island	360	0.7	0.9×	$162k
Washington DC	340	0.5	0.6×	$198k (estimated)
Alaska	310	1.0	1.2×	$231k
Maine	310	0.5	0.6×	$209k
North Dakota	260	0.6	0.8×	$221k
Vermont	240	0.8	1.0×	$205k
Wyoming	240	0.9	1.1×	$124k

Top metro areas

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ7,240 jobs · $190k median
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA6,300 jobs · $140k median
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN5,910 jobs · $156k median
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL3,270 jobs · $172k median
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV3,040 jobs · $185k median
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX2,890 jobs · $180k median
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ2,700 jobs · $194k median
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD2,570 jobs · $163k median

Where this ranks

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.