Dentist Salary, Adjusted for Cost of Living
Dentists earn the most in Alaska ($230,990/yr) — but once you adjust for what a dollar actually buys there, Alaska drops to #4, and North Dakota pays the most real money ($248,047 in U.S.-average buying power).
| # | State | Nominal / yr | Cost of living | Real pay / yr | COL shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $220,660 | 89 | $248,047 | ▲ 1 | |
| Tennessee | $215,290 | 92 | $234,342 | ▲ 2 | |
| Missouri | $204,960 | 91 | $225,685 | ▲ 6 | |
| Alaska | $230,990 | 102 | $225,667 | ▼ 3 | |
| Minnesota | $219,200 | 99 | $222,265 | ▼ 2 | |
| North Carolina | $207,000 | 94 | $219,452 | ▲ 1 | |
| Maine | $209,200 | 97 | $215,559 | ▼ 1 | |
| Georgia | $206,760 | 96 | $214,720 | — | |
| Vermont | $204,960 | 98 | $209,233 | ▲ 1 | |
| Iowa | $181,520 | 88 | $206,832 | ▲ 6 | |
| Wisconsin | $193,690 | 94 | $205,845 | ▲ 2 | |
| Arkansas | $178,930 | 87 | $205,816 | ▲ 6 | |
| Oregon | $211,690 | 103 | $204,806 | ▼ 8 | |
| Nebraska | $179,750 | 90 | $199,494 | ▲ 3 | |
| Virginia | $197,110 | 101 | $194,958 | ▼ 4 | |
| Louisiana | $170,750 | 88 | $193,579 | ▲ 6 | |
| Arizona | $194,180 | 101 | $192,874 | ▼ 5 | |
| West Virginia | $170,370 | 90 | $190,364 | ▲ 5 | |
| Oklahoma | $166,170 | 88 | $189,167 | ▲ 13 | |
| Ohio | $167,410 | 93 | $180,449 | ▲ 8 | |
| Indiana | $166,650 | 93 | $178,562 | ▲ 9 | |
| South Dakota | $158,140 | 89 | $178,516 | ▲ 18 | |
| Montana | $167,200 | 95 | $176,660 | ▲ 6 | |
| Michigan | $169,930 | 96 | $176,611 | — | |
| Massachusetts | $181,600 | 106 | $171,714 | ▼ 10 | |
| New Hampshire | $177,480 | 104 | $170,384 | ▼ 7 | |
| New York | $183,060 | 108 | $169,624 | ▼ 13 | |
| South Carolina | $158,640 | 94 | $169,218 | ▲ 11 | |
| Florida | $174,900 | 103 | $169,126 | ▼ 9 | |
| New Mexico | $155,260 | 92 | $168,373 | ▲ 12 | |
| Pennsylvania | $163,390 | 98 | $167,456 | ▲ 3 | |
| Texas | $162,360 | 97 | $167,283 | ▲ 3 | |
| Mississippi | $143,660 | 87 | $165,216 | ▲ 10 | |
| Nevada | $162,200 | 100 | $162,234 | ▲ 2 | |
| Colorado | $166,240 | 103 | $161,317 | ▼ 4 | |
| Maryland | $168,500 | 105 | $160,539 | ▼ 10 | |
| Washington | $169,730 | 107 | $158,607 | ▼ 12 | |
| Rhode Island | $161,560 | 102 | $157,959 | ▼ 1 | |
| New Jersey | $171,330 | 109 | $157,465 | ▼ 18 | |
| Illinois | $156,110 | 100 | $156,176 | ▲ 1 | |
| Connecticut | $160,440 | 104 | $154,850 | ▼ 3 | |
| Hawaii | $167,820 | 110 | $152,632 | ▼ 15 | |
| California | $165,950 | 111 | $149,883 | ▼ 10 | |
| Kentucky | $134,160 | 90 | $148,804 | — | |
| Utah | $133,320 | 99 | $134,852 | — | |
| Wyoming | $123,830 | 93 | $133,594 | ▲ 1 | |
| Idaho | $124,190 | 96 | $130,050 | ▼ 1 |
How to read this
Nominal pay is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) median wage for dentists in each state. Real pay divides that by the state's cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. average = 100), so it reflects what the salary is actually worth locally. A state with high nominal pay but high costs can rank lower on real pay than a cheaper state — that's the COL shift column.
Methodology: nominal medians from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 release); cost of living from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (all items, 2024). Real pay = nominal ÷ (RPP ÷ 100). Cite as “WageAtlas Real Pay Index.”
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