National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Dentists earn a national median of $175,500/year vs Nurses at $89,010/year. Dentists earn 49% more nationally. The gap is $86,490 per year — or $7,208 per month.
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Dentist
$175,500
national median/year
$14,625/mo • $84/hr
VS
Nurse
$89,010
national median/year
$7,418/mo • $43/hr
Annual salary gap
$86,490
Dentists earn 49% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $980,390.
Best states for Nurses
vs Dentists
California+$-66,850
Mississippi+$-72,000
Arkansas+$-75,110
New Mexico+$-76,000
West Virginia+$-76,000
Best states for Dentists
vs Nurses
Minnesota+$100,000
Virginia+$100,000
Maryland+$97,000
Alaska+$94,080
Colorado+$94,000
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Dentists earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Dentists is $175,500 versus $89,010 for Nurses — a difference of $86,490 per year or $7,208 per month.
The national median salary gap between Dentists and Nurses is $86,490 per year. Dentists earn 49% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $980,390.
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 Nurses the highest median salary at $131,470 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 Registered Nurses 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 Nurses earn approximately $43 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.
