Dentist Salary in Iowa: What Dentists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$136,100
Median (50th)
$181,520
75th percentile
$209,880
National median
$170,950
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1021), May 2025
What does a dentist make in Iowa?
The median dentist in Iowa earns $181,520 a year ($87.27 an hour), which is $10,570 above the national median of $170,950, but less than in nearby Minnesota ($219,200), Missouri ($204,960) and Wisconsin ($193,690). The mean is $198,470.
That ranks 16th of the 47 states where BLS publishes a dentist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in Iowa
The middle half of Iowa dentists earn $136,100 to $209,880. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $100,920, $14,670 above the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $259,990, $59,640 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in Iowa
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Iowa's 2024 price level at 87.8 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 12.2% below the national average, and housing (index 65.3) runs 34.7% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $181,520 median is worth about $206,830 — $35,880 above the national median of $170,950.
How many dentists work in Iowa
BLS counts about 1,240 dentist jobs in Iowa, 1.0% of the 124,390 nationwide, or 0.796 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dentists hold about the same share of local jobs as nationally (location quotient 0.99).
Dentist Salary by City in Iowa
Across the 8 Iowa metro areas where BLS publishes a dentist median, pay runs from $161,140 in Dubuque to $209,300 in Des Moines, a spread of $48,160.
All dental roles by metro: Ames · Cedar Rapids · Davenport · Des Moines · Iowa City · Sioux City
Who's hiring dentists in Iowa now
DentistryHires has 7 open dentist listings in Iowa from 2 employers, led by Bettendorf and Dubuque (2 each). None of them posts a pay figure.
Dentist Regulatory Context in Iowa
Dentist practice in Iowa is regulated by the Iowa Dental Board.
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 Iowa Compares
Minnesota
$219,200
+28% vs. national
Minnesota salary →
Missouri
$204,960
+20% vs. national
Missouri salary →
Wisconsin
$193,690
+13% vs. national
Wisconsin salary →
Nebraska
$179,750
+5% vs. national
Nebraska salary →
South Dakota
$158,140
-7% vs. national
South Dakota salary →
Illinois
$156,110
-9% vs. national
Illinois salary →
Other dental salaries in Iowa
- Dental Hygienist salary in Iowa: median $84,010, $97,510 below the dentist median
- Dental Assistant salary in Iowa: median $48,430, $133,090 below the dentist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in Iowa: median $47,520, $134,000 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.