The top 20 best states to practice dentistry

Not every state is equal when it comes to the earning potential of general dentists. For those who are still in dental school, average income can be an important consideration when planning for life after graduation and the location of a future practice.

According to the U.S. News & World Report rankings, dentistry is listed as the number two in the country’s 100 best jobs, and it’s a fast-growing and in-demand career. Dental school graduates have the opportunity to find work in any part of the world where there are smiles to maintain, which gives general dentists many options and locales to consider. 

Here are the 20 most profitable states in the US for general dentists, according to the 2017 data gathered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a unit of the US Department of Labor. 

1. Massachusetts
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $163,395 (12th lowest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 82.7 (the highest)
• Quality of life ranking: first out of 50 states
• Adults who visited the dentist during past year: 73.7% (fourth highest) 

2. Connecticut
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $196,319 (19th highest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 74.4 (sixth highest)
• Quality of life ranking: eighth out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 77.8% (the highest) 

3. California
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $129,069 (the lowest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 77.5 (fourth highest)
• Quality of life ranking: 14th out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 67.1% (21st highest) 

4. New Jersey
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $148,061 (seventh lowest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 77.6 (third highest)
• Quality of life ranking: second out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 73.4% (fifth highest) 

5. New York
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $138,526 (fifth lowest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 74.4 (sixth highest)
• Quality of life ranking: 12th out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 68.5% (17th highest) 

6. New Hampshire
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $213,175 (11th highest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 63.6 (14th highest)
• Quality of life ranking: fifth out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 71.9% (ninth highest) 

7. Minnesota
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $232,962 (fifth highest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 58.5 (20th highest)
• Quality of life ranking: ninth out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 73.9% (third highest) 

8. Colorado
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $169,332 (14th lowest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 70.5 (ninth highest)
• Quality of life ranking: sixth out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 67.0% (22nd highest) 

9. Hawaii
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $160,302 (11th lowest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 75.8 (fifth highest)
• Quality of life ranking: fourth out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 72.7% (seventh highest) 

10. Maryland
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $137,667 (fourth lowest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 70.4 (10th highest)
• Quality of life ranking: third out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 68.6% (16th highest) 

11. Virginia
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $195,673 (20th highest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 62.5 (15th highest)
• Quality of life ranking: 10th out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 70.5% (12th highest) 

12. Rhode Island
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $257,749 (second highest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 54.6 (25th lowest)
• Quality of life ranking: 13th out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 75.8% (second highest) 

13. Illinois
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $174,164 (19th lowest)|
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 68.2 (11th highest)
• Quality of life ranking: 19th out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 65.5% (23rd lowest)

14. Vermont
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $172,359 (15th lowest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 57.9 (22nd highest)
• Quality of life ranking: seventh out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 71.9% (ninth highest) 

15. Washington
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $172,954 (17th lowest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 70.9 (eighth highest)
• Quality of life ranking: 15th out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 68.2% (18th highest) 

16. Wisconsin
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $229,414 (seventh highest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 58.2 (21st highest)
• Quality of life ranking: 20th out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 72.6% (eighth highest) 

17. North Dakota
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $233,406 (fourth highest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 57.9 (22nd highest)
• Quality of life ranking: 17th out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 66.1% (24th lowest) 

18. Utah
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $143,139 (sixth lowest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 61.2 (16th highest)
• Quality of life ranking: 11th out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 72.9% (sixth highest) 

19. Iowa
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $206,702 (15th highest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 54.0 (21st lowest)
• Quality of life ranking: 16th out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 71.3% (11th highest) 

20. Oregon
• Cost of living: adjusted annual income for dentists is $191,643 (23rd highest)
• Dentists per 100,000 people: 67.8 (12th highest)
• Quality of life ranking: 22nd out of 50
• Adults who visited the dentist in past year: 67.9% (19th highest) 

Did your state make the list? If not, these are some great options to consider where your practice can thrive more successfully.

To help grow your practice, there are many benefits to creating a membership program. Creating an in-house membership plan will give your practice recurring revenue every month while helping patients gain access to dental care, and they’re more likely to say yes to dental care when they have a plan. 

Membership plans involve some set up and ongoing maintenance, and there are membership software options available to help with this process. Your practice can build recurring revenue, which increases the value of a practice. Practices with plans through BoomCloud can grow their membership programs by 1000%. 

For help with growing your membership program, patient communication, and scheduling, check out BoomCloud here.