Dentists, General: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical · SOC 29-1021 · O*NET 29-1021.00
Examine, diagnose, and treat diseases, injuries, and malformations of teeth and gums. May treat diseases of nerve, pulp, and other dental tissues affecting oral hygiene and retention of teeth. May fit dental appliances or provide preventive care.
Dentists, General fall under the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category in the U.S. occupational classification. Dentists, General earn a median salary of $172,790 per year, ranking in the top 1% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +4.1% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a professional doctorate (such as MD, DO, JD, DDS, or PharmD), with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What parents should know about dentists, general right now
General dentists diagnose and treat issues with teeth, gums, and the mouth, performing cleanings, fillings, crowns, root canals, and routine extractions, and referring complex cases to specialists. According to the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, the median annual wage for dentists was $179,210 in May 2024, with employment projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034 and about 4,500 annual openings. Becoming a general dentist requires a bachelor's degree, four years of dental school (DDS or DMD), passage of the National Board Dental Examinations, and state licensure; no residency is mandatory, though many new dentists complete an optional one-year general practice residency or AEGD program for added clinical exposure. A defining trend is the rise of dental service organizations. U.S. dentist DSO affiliation grew from 7.2 percent in 2015 to 16.1 percent in 2024, and several states have more than 40 percent of active dentists aged 55 and older, suggesting a large wave of practice sales ahead. For new dentists, this means more salaried associate roles with predictable hours and benefits, alongside a still-vibrant private practice ownership track for those who want to build equity. Parents can support a teen interested in dentistry by encouraging strong biology and chemistry, fine motor and art skills (dentistry is hands-on craft as much as science), and shadowing across solo, group, and DSO-affiliated offices so the student can compare practice models before committing.
What do dentists, general earn?
The median annual wage for dentists, general is $172,790. That puts dentists, general at #8 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. Pay at this level is well above the U.S. median household income, signaling sustained demand and meaningful credential requirements. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $83,860 |
| 25th percentile | $126,090 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $172,790 |
| 75th percentile | $220,380 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | — |
| Median hourly wage | $83.07/hr |
Is dentists, general a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for dentists, general is +4.1%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 129K positions in 2024 to 135K in 2034, a net change of 6K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do dentists, general do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working dentists, general, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Examine teeth, gums, and related tissues, using dental instruments, x-rays, or other diagnostic equipment, to evaluate dental health, diagnose diseases or abnormalities, and plan appropriate treatments.
- 2.Use dental air turbines, hand instruments, dental appliances, or surgical implements.
- 3.Remove diseased tissue, using surgical instruments.
- 4.Eliminate irritating margins of fillings and correct occlusions, using dental instruments.
- 5.Plan, organize, or maintain dental health programs.
- 6.Use masks, gloves, and safety glasses to protect patients and self from infectious diseases.
- 7.Administer anesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures.
- 8.Formulate plan of treatment for patient's teeth and mouth tissue.
Top skills for dentists, general
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become dentists, general?
Becoming a dentists, general typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's, doctoral, or professional degree, plus state licensure or board certification depending on specialty. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Licensing requirements for dentists, general
Dentists, General are regulated at the state level in the United States. Practicing without a current license is not legal in most jurisdictions.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about dentists, general
What is the median salary for dentists, general?
The median annual salary for dentists, general is $172,790 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is dentists, general a growing career?
BLS projects +4.1% growth for dentists, general from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become dentists, general?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree followed by a professional doctorate (such as MD, DO, JD, DDS, or PharmD), plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to dentists, general?
Related occupations within the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.