National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
Compare a different job:
VS
QUICK ANSWER
Lawyers earn a national median of $145,760/year vs Dentists at $175,500/year. Dentists earn 20% more nationally. The gap is $29,740 per year — or $2,478 per month.
Built by Pierre — MBA, Business Strategist & AI Consultant, Founder of DayblipAbout the author →
Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
VS
Dentist
$175,500
national median/year
$14,625/mo • $84/hr
Annual salary gap
$29,740
Dentists earn 20% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $337,112.
Best states for Dentists
vs Lawyers
Alaska+$74,000
Hawaii+$74,000
North Dakota+$60,000
South Dakota+$60,000
Wyoming+$60,000
Best states for Lawyers
vs Dentists
New York+$-4,000
California+$-20,000
Illinois+$-24,000
Massachusetts+$-24,000
Texas+$-24,000
Share Your Result
Surprised by this number? Share it with friends and family
Dentists earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Lawyers is $145,760 versus $175,500 for Dentists — a difference of $29,740 per year or $2,478 per month.
The national median salary gap between Lawyers and Dentists is $29,740 per year. Dentists earn 20% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $337,112.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, New York pays Lawyers the highest median salary at $188,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Dentists the highest median salary at $198,320 per year.
Salary is one factor — Dentists earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Lawyers and Dentists, General 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, Lawyers earn approximately $70 per hour nationally and Dentists earn approximately $84 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.
