National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Dentists earn a national median of $175,500/year vs Occupational Therapists at $96,320/year. Dentists earn 45% more nationally. The gap is $79,180 per year — or $6,598 per month.
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Dentist
$175,500
national median/year
$14,625/mo • $84/hr
VS
Occupational Therapist
$96,320
national median/year
$8,027/mo • $46/hr
Annual salary gap
$79,180
Dentists earn 45% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $897,529.
Best states for Occupational Therapists
vs Dentists
Arkansas+$-62,000
Mississippi+$-62,000
Oklahoma+$-66,000
Alabama+$-68,000
New Mexico+$-68,000
Best states for Dentists
vs Occupational Therapists
Connecticut+$90,000
Alaska+$88,000
California+$88,000
Hawaii+$88,000
Massachusetts+$86,000
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Dentists earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Dentists is $175,500 versus $96,320 for Occupational Therapists — a difference of $79,180 per year or $6,598 per month.
The national median salary gap between Dentists and Occupational Therapists is $79,180 per year. Dentists earn 45% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $897,529.
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 Occupational Therapists the highest median salary at $110,320 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 Occupational Therapists 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 Occupational Therapists earn approximately $46 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.
