Dentist Salary in Pennsylvania: What Dentists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$112,640
Median (50th)
$163,390
75th percentile
$210,650
National median
$170,950
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1021), May 2025
What does a dentist make in Pennsylvania?
The median dentist in Pennsylvania earns $163,390 a year ($78.56 an hour), which is $7,560 below the national median of $170,950, but less than in nearby New York ($183,060), New Jersey ($171,330) and West Virginia ($170,370). The mean is $172,710.
That ranks 34th of the 47 states where BLS publishes a dentist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in Pennsylvania
The middle half of Pennsylvania dentists earn $112,640 to $210,650. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $65,520, $20,730 below the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $316,950, $2,680 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in Pennsylvania
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Pennsylvania's 2024 price level at 97.6 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 2.4% below the national average, and housing (index 85.1) runs 14.9% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $163,390 median is worth about $167,460 — $3,490 below the national median of $170,950.
How many dentists work in Pennsylvania
BLS counts about 4,460 dentist jobs in Pennsylvania, 3.6% of the 124,390 nationwide, or 0.736 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dentists hold an 8% smaller share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 0.92).
Dentist Salary by City in Pennsylvania
Across the 14 Pennsylvania metro areas where BLS publishes a dentist median, pay runs from $117,110 in Altoona to $204,660 in Williamsport, a spread of $87,550.
All dental roles by metro: Allentown · Altoona · Chambersburg · Erie · Harrisburg · Johnstown · Philadelphia · Pittsburgh · Reading · State College · Williamsport · York
Who's hiring dentists in Pennsylvania now
DentistryHires has 11 open dentist listings in Pennsylvania from 5 employers, spread across 11 cities including Gibsonia and Greensburg. None of them posts a pay figure.
Dentist Regulatory Context in Pennsylvania
Dentist practice in Pennsylvania is regulated by the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Compares
Other dental salaries in Pennsylvania
- Dental Hygienist salary in Pennsylvania: median $80,610, $82,780 below the dentist median
- Dental Assistant salary in Pennsylvania: median $47,930, $115,460 below the dentist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in Pennsylvania: median $49,280, $114,110 below the dentist median
- Orthodontist salary in Pennsylvania: median $311,180
- Oral Surgeon salary in Pennsylvania: median $553,740
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.