National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Dentists earn a national median of $175,500/year vs Cloud Engineers at $138,000/year. Dentists earn 21% more nationally. The gap is $37,500 per year — or $3,125 per month.
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Dentist
$175,500
national median/year
$14,625/mo • $84/hr
VS
Cloud Engineer
$138,000
national median/year
$11,500/mo • $66/hr
Annual salary gap
$37,500
Dentists earn 21% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $425,074.
Best states for Cloud Engineers
vs Dentists
California+$-20,320
Virginia+$-20,320
Washington+$-20,320
North Carolina+$-28,320
Colorado+$-30,320
Best states for Dentists
vs Cloud Engineers
Alaska+$72,320
Hawaii+$68,320
North Dakota+$60,320
Wyoming+$60,320
Wisconsin+$52,320
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Dentists earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Dentists is $175,500 versus $138,000 for Cloud Engineers — a difference of $37,500 per year or $3,125 per month.
The national median salary gap between Dentists and Cloud Engineers is $37,500 per year. Dentists earn 21% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $425,074.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Dentists the highest median salary at $198,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Cloud Engineers the highest median salary at $178,000 per year.
Salary is one factor — Dentists earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Dentists, General and Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Dentists earn approximately $84 per hour nationally and Cloud Engineers earn approximately $66 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
