General practice dentists saw their average net income drop to $207,980 in 2024, marking a decline of more than $17,000 from the previous year, according to the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute Survey of Dental Practice.
The median net income tells an even starker story, reaching just $179,900—the lowest inflation-adjusted figure on record and the third consecutive year of decline. This represents a drop of more than $64,000 from 2010 levels when adjusted for inflation.
The Perfect Storm: Rising Costs, Falling Revenue
The income decline stems from a troubling combination of factors that's squeezing practices from both sides. Between 2015-2019 and 2020-2024, practice expenses per dentist surged 3.0% while revenue per dentist fell 1.2%, creating a 13.2% reduction in median income.
"Rising expenses and decreasing revenue are driving the downward trend in GP dentist net incomes," the ADA report states plainly.
Working More Hours, Earning Less
Adding insult to injury, dentists are now working longer hours while taking home less pay. The average general practitioner worked 36.1 hours per week in 2024, up from 35 hours in the pre-2020 period. But the additional time isn't going toward patient care—it's administrative burden.
Hours spent on non-clinical duties jumped from 4.3 hours per week to 5.5 hours, while chairside patient treatment time has remained essentially flat. Practice owners now work an average of 5 hours more per week than employee dentists, likely due to financial pressures from decreasing revenue.
Some Gaps Are Closing—But Not Because of Progress
The report reveals several narrowing income gaps, though the reasons aren't encouraging. The gender income gap has shrunk considerably, with male dentists earning $222,158 in 2024 compared to female dentists at $181,194—a gap that has decreased from $40,964 to about $41,000 over the past five years. However, this narrowing occurred primarily because male dentist incomes fell by $23,000 compared to just $3,000 for female dentists.
Similarly, the income gap between practice owners and employees is closing, but only because owner incomes plummeted $26,000 while employee incomes held relatively steady with just a $2,000 decrease.
On a more positive note, the gender gap in hours worked has narrowed significantly. Female dentists now work 98% as many hours as their male counterparts (35.7 vs 36.4 hours), up from 94% in 2010.
Rural Practices Fare Better
One bright spot emerged in the data: rural dental practices. While urban practices saw revenue per dentist decline 1.2%, rural practices experienced a 6.1% increase. Despite this revenue advantage, rural dentists still saw their median income drop from $251,463 to $210,017, though the decline was less severe than the 11.1% decrease experienced by urban dentists.
Long-Term Erosion of Earning Power
When adjusted for inflation, the picture becomes even more concerning. Average net income has plummeted nearly $60,000 since 2010, when inflation-adjusted earnings stood at $267,168. The 2024 average of $207,980 represents the lowest figure since the pandemic-disrupted year of 2020.
The decline has affected dentists at all career stages. Even dentists 11-25 years out of dental school—historically the highest earners—saw their income drop from peak levels, now averaging $228,463 compared to $184,015 for the most experienced practitioners and $214,691 for those in their first decade of practice.
Lagging Behind Other Healthcare Professions
The income challenges facing general dentists stand in stark contrast to other healthcare professionals. Family medicine physicians and internists averaged $259,064 in 2024, while general dentists earned $207,980—a gap of more than $50,000. This disparity persists despite dentists now working comparable hours and facing similar student debt burdens.
Recent dental school graduates face particularly challenging economics. Five years after graduation, the average dentist earned just $166,676 in 2022—barely enough to service typical dental school debt while building a life and potentially starting a practice.
Looking Ahead
The sustained decrease in dentist income comes as practices face mounting pressures: increased competition from dental service organizations, workforce recruitment challenges, evolving insurance reimbursement models, and growing administrative demands that eat into clinical productivity.
As overhead continues to rise and revenue remains under pressure, the data raises important questions about the long-term sustainability of traditional dental practice models and the future landscape of dental care delivery in the United States.
Based on data from the ADA Health Policy Institute's 2025 Survey of Dental Practice and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. All figures adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars.