Dentist Salary in Virginia: What Dentists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$134,870
Median (50th)
$197,110
75th percentile
$259,530
National median
$170,950
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1021), May 2025
What does a dentist make in Virginia?
The median dentist in Virginia earns $197,110 a year ($94.76 an hour), which is $26,160 above the national median of $170,950, and more than in nearby West Virginia ($170,370) but less than in Tennessee ($215,290) and North Carolina ($207,000). The mean is $197,820.
That ranks 11th of the 47 states where BLS publishes a dentist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in Virginia
The middle half of Virginia dentists earn $134,870 to $259,530. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $105,400, $19,150 above the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $321,250, $1,620 above the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in Virginia
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Virginia's 2024 price level at 101.1 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 1.1% above the national average, and housing (index 106.8) runs 6.8% above.
Converted to national average prices, the $197,110 median is worth about $194,960 — $24,010 above the national median of $170,950.
How many dentists work in Virginia
BLS counts about 4,140 dentist jobs in Virginia, 3.3% of the 124,390 nationwide, or 1.008 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dentists hold a 26% larger share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 1.26).
Dentist Salary by City in Virginia
Across the 7 Virginia metro areas where BLS publishes a dentist median, pay runs from $128,140 in Blacksburg to $218,880 in Richmond, a spread of $90,740.
All dental roles by metro: Harrisonburg · Staunton · Virginia Beach
Who's hiring dentists in Virginia now
DentistryHires has 18 open dentist listings in Virginia from 6 employers, led by Harrisonburg, Salem and Suffolk (2 each). None of them posts a pay figure.
Dentist Regulatory Context in Virginia
Dentist practice in Virginia is regulated by the Virginia 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 Virginia Compares
Other dental salaries in Virginia
- Dental Hygienist salary in Virginia: median $102,950, $94,160 below the dentist median
- Dental Assistant salary in Virginia: median $46,670, $150,440 below the dentist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in Virginia: median $51,900, $145,210 below the dentist median
- Oral Surgeon salary in Virginia: median $403,430
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.