Dentist Salary in Louisiana: What Dentists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$101,670
Median (50th)
$170,750
75th percentile
$213,660
National median
$170,950
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1021), May 2025
What does a dentist make in Louisiana?
The median dentist in Louisiana earns $170,750 a year ($82.09 an hour), which is $200 below the national median of $170,950, and more than in nearby Texas ($162,360) and Mississippi ($143,660) but less than in Arkansas ($178,930).
The mean is $176,540.
That ranks 22nd of the 47 states where BLS publishes a dentist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in Louisiana
The middle half of Louisiana dentists earn $101,670 to $213,660.
The lowest-paid tenth earn under $80,530, $5,720 below the national 10th percentile.
The top tenth earn over $309,360, $10,270 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in Louisiana
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Louisiana's 2024 price level at 88.2 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 11.8% below the national average, and housing (index 63.1) runs 36.9% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $170,750 median is worth about $193,580 — $22,630 above the national median of $170,950.
How many dentists work in Louisiana
BLS counts about 1,500 dentist jobs in Louisiana, 1.2% of the 124,390 nationwide, or 0.777 per 1,000 jobs in the state.
Dentists hold a 3% smaller share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 0.97).
Dentist Salary by City in Louisiana
Across the 8 Louisiana metro areas where BLS publishes a dentist median, pay runs from $114,470 in Lake Charles to $198,050 in New Orleans, a spread of $83,580.
All dental roles by metro: Baton Rouge · Lafayette · Lake Charles · Monroe · New Orleans · Shreveport · Slidell
What Dentist Job Listings in Louisiana Show Right Now
From the 10 active dentist listings on DentistryHires as of November 13, 2026.
Employers with the most openings
Benefits listings name
- Health insurancenamed in 90%
- Paid or provided CEnamed in 90%
- 401(k) plannamed in 50%
- Dental or vision coveragenamed in 50%
- Malpractice insurancenamed in 50%
Source: active dentist listings on DentistryHires, updated daily. Pay figures use only listings that state pay (midpoint of each posted range) and are hidden when one employer posted most of them. Benefits count listings that name the benefit; a listing that doesn’t mention one may still offer it.
Browse 10 jobs →Dentist Regulatory Context in Louisiana
Dentist practice in Louisiana is regulated by the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry.
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 Louisiana Compares
Other dental salaries in Louisiana
- Dental Hygienist salary in Louisiana: median $85,240, $85,510 below the dentist median
- Dental Assistant salary in Louisiana: median $44,090, $126,660 below the dentist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in Louisiana: median $38,490, $132,260 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.