How Do You Stack Up?
What Do Dentist Make
At my annual dental exam, the real value is the status of oral health as compared to the previous year and advice on changes that I can make to improve that oral health in the next twelve months. But since I am human and love to compare, I also want to know if I stack up to other patients.
In most cases, Teddy Roosevelt was correct when he said “Comparison is the thief of joy” but science says there is a place for healthy comparisons:
“If upward social comparisons make you dissatisfied, they can be a bad thing to engage in. But with the right attitude, they can actually be helpful. Dissatisfaction creates energy, and that energy can be harnessed for the better. That is, if there is an unimpeded path to doing so. That means that you have to have some ability to control your own destiny rather than being buffeted about by external forces. It also means that you have to believe that if you put in the effort, it will successfully reduce (or eliminate) the difference between you and that other person.”
With all this in mind, here is are some facts about dentist compensation (sources noted at the end of post):
57% percent of dental practice owners indicated they were satisfied or very satisfied with their total compensation in 2024, compared to 45% of associate dentists.
The average income of a general dentist as a practice owner was $320,316 in 2024, compared to $300,273 in 2023.
The average income of a general dentist as an associate was $225,929 in 2024, compared to $217,867 in 2023. A difference of roughly $100,000 from a practice owner.
Practice owner’s income increased by 9.9% between 2023 and 2024, while the income of associates increased by only 8.5%.
Full-time general dentists, who are practice owners, reported primary total income from their practice ranging from $100,000 to $1,800,000.
General dentists have an average annual wage of $191,750, according to the government statistics. Note that wage does not equal earnings for practice owners.
General dentists in New Hampshire have the highest wages, with an average salary of $263,912 while the general dentists in Florida are at the bottom with an average salary of $141,970.
According to a survey by the ADA Health Policy Institute, here are the issues that other dentists are expecting in 2025 (note survey from early January 2025):
More than half of dentists reported feeling confident in the economic conditions at their practices, the dental sector in general, and in the U.S. in the next six months.
About 56% reported feeling very or somewhat confident in the economic conditions in the U.S. within the next months while about 19% reported not feeling confident or skeptical.
Dentists reported being most enthusiastic about the economic conditions of their practices. Of the responses, about 68% reported feeling very or somewhat confident about the economic conditions at their practices in the next six months.
Despite their thoughts about future economic conditions, more than 40% of dentists reported that they were very unlikely to make major equipment purchases and invest in software.
Additionally, about 41% of dentists reported they were likely or somewhat likely to drop out of some insurance networks.
As for anticipated challenges, in the near future, about 62% of the 728 respondents reported staffing, recruitment and retention, and workforce shortages as the biggest obstacle.
Nearly 58% of dentists cited low insurance reimbursement, denials, Medicaid and Medicare issues as the second-biggest challenge, and approximately 46% reported rising expenses, including staff wages and benefits and equipment costs, and overhead costs as the third-largest obstacle.
Each practice is different and every dentist has different goals.
but if you find yourself struggling below the average, you should use that as motivation and the knowledge that better is possible. schedule a consultation with JNG Advisors today to find out how we can help you on that path.
2025 Dental Salary Survey Report
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Dentapreneur Retreat
If you are way above average and want to put yourself in the 1% of dentalpreneurs, click here.