Dentist Salary in Arkansas: What Dentists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$127,540
Median (50th)
$178,930
75th percentile
$209,720
National median
$170,950
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1021), May 2025
What does a dentist make in Arkansas?
The median dentist in Arkansas earns $178,930 a year ($86.02 an hour), which is $7,980 above the national median of $170,950, and more than in nearby Louisiana ($170,750) but less than in Tennessee ($215,290) and Missouri ($204,960). The mean is $174,280.
That ranks 18th of the 47 states where BLS publishes a dentist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in Arkansas
The middle half of Arkansas dentists earn $127,540 to $209,720. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $99,010, $12,760 above the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $223,010, $96,620 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in Arkansas
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Arkansas's 2024 price level at 86.9 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 13.1% below the national average, and housing (index 58.2) runs 41.8% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $178,930 median is worth about $205,820 — $34,870 above the national median of $170,950.
How many dentists work in Arkansas
BLS counts about 1,210 dentist jobs in Arkansas, 1.0% of the 124,390 nationwide, or 0.932 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dentists hold a 16% larger share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 1.16).
Dentist Salary by City in Arkansas
Across the 5 Arkansas metro areas where BLS publishes a dentist median, pay runs from $161,820 in Hot Springs to $179,940 in Fayetteville, a spread of $18,120.
All dental roles by metro: Hot Springs · Jonesboro · Little Rock
Who's hiring dentists in Arkansas now
DentistryHires has 5 open dentist listings in Arkansas from 3 employers, the most of them in Fayetteville (2).
2 post a salary from $230,400 to $460,800 a year. These are employers' posted ranges, not survey figures.
Dentist Regulatory Context in Arkansas
Dentist practice in Arkansas is regulated by the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners.
Scope of practice — what a dentist may do, and under what level of supervision — is set by state law and changes over time, so verify current rules with the board before relying on them.
How Arkansas Compares
Tennessee
$215,290
+26% vs. national
Tennessee salary →
Missouri
$204,960
+20% vs. national
Missouri salary →
Louisiana
$170,750
0% vs. national
Louisiana salary →
Oklahoma
$166,170
-3% vs. national
Oklahoma salary →
Texas
$162,360
-5% vs. national
Texas salary →
Mississippi
$143,660
-16% vs. national
Mississippi salary →
Other dental salaries in Arkansas
- Dental Hygienist salary in Arkansas: median $86,760, $92,170 below the dentist median
- Dental Assistant salary in Arkansas: median $42,830, $136,100 below the dentist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in Arkansas: median $49,960, $128,970 below the dentist median
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state and national estimates, all industries); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024. Price-adjusted pay divides the median by the price level. Listing counts and posted pay are live DentistryHires listings, refreshed hourly. A dash means BLS did not publish that figure; nothing is estimated.