National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Dentists earn a national median of $175,500/year vs Machine Learning Engineers at $158,000/year. Dentists earn 10% more nationally. The gap is $17,500 per year — or $1,458 per month.
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Dentist
$175,500
national median/year
$14,625/mo • $84/hr
VS
Machine Learning Engineer
$158,000
national median/year
$13,167/mo • $76/hr
Annual salary gap
$17,500
Dentists earn 10% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $198,368.
Best states for Machine Learning Engineers
vs Dentists
California+$13,680
Washington+$5,680
Virginia+$1,680
New York+$-6,320
North Carolina+$-8,320
Best states for Dentists
vs Machine Learning Engineers
Alaska+$60,320
Hawaii+$52,320
North Dakota+$46,320
Wyoming+$46,320
Iowa+$36,320
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Dentists earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Dentists is $175,500 versus $158,000 for Machine Learning Engineers — a difference of $17,500 per year or $1,458 per month.
The national median salary gap between Dentists and Machine Learning Engineers is $17,500 per year. Dentists earn 10% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $198,368.
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 Machine Learning Engineers the highest median salary at $212,000 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 Computer and Information Research Scientists 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 Machine Learning Engineers earn approximately $76 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.
