Dentist owners and DSOs may experience challenges recruiting staff in some states more than others as a new ranking shows which states employers are having the most trouble with hiring.

Dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants were included on a list of 46 healthcare jobs ranked by job outlook and opportunity.

Forty-nine dental schools received a total of more than $276 million, according to data from the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. 

General dentists in the U.S. earn an average of $172,290 each year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There are currently 6,820 dental professional shortage areas in the U.S., according to data from the Health Resources and Services Administration. 

Years of experience have a larger impact on hourly wages for dental assistants than dental hygienists, according to Dentalpost's Dental Salary Survey for 2024.

Arkansas, the lowest-ranked state for dental health, has over 1,200 active dentists.

More than 78% of owner dentists worked 32 or more hours each week in 2023, according to Dentalpost's Dental Salary Survey for 2024. 

There were 202,304 total dentists in the U.S. in 2023, compared to more than 56,000 active surgeons, according to data from the American Dental Association and KFF, respectively.

The average annual salary for orthopedic surgeons is nearly $200,000 higher than dentists, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There were 202,304 total dentists in the U.S. in 2023, compared to more than 1.1 million active physicians, according to data from the American Dental Association and KFF. 

Illinois, the top-ranked state for dental health, has one of the largest numbers of active dentists with more than 8,500. 

The mean annual wage for dental hygienists varied by more than $35,000 across different regions in the U.S., according to Dentalpost's Dental Salary Survey for 2024.

The average hourly rates for dental assistants based on years of experience varied by more than $7 an hour, according to Dentalpost's Dental Salary Survey for 2024.

The average hourly rates for dental hygienists based on years of experience varied by less than $2 an hour, according to Dentalpost's Dental Salary Survey for 2024.

There were more than 159,000 general practice dentists in the U.S. in 2023, according to data collected by the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

The average annual salary for orthodontists is more than $50,000 higher than dentists, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics have the largest representation out of 12 dental specialty fields, with 10,904 orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedists in 2023, according to data from the American Dental Association.

There were 202,304 total dentists in the U.S. in 2023, a slight dip from 2022, according to data from the American Dental Association.

Dental hygienists and dental assistants were both included on the best 28 healthcare support jobs list by U.S. News & World Report.