How much does a Dentist make in Arkansas?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $172,490 for Dentists in Arkansas as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $156,160 and the 75th-percentile is $214,990.

How many Dentists does Arkansas employ?

BLS OES counts 990 Dentists employed in Arkansas in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Why is the BEA RPP for Arkansas different from a single CPI number?

BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Arkansas's overall index of 86.8 reflects rents 56.7, services 81.9, and goods 93.1.

What are the limits of these Dentist salary numbers?

BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Arkansas?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Arkansas.

Does the BLS dentist median capture practice-owner income in Arkansas?

Partially. BLS OEWS reports W-2 earnings, which captures dentist-owners who pay themselves a salary through the practice but excludes pass-through profit distributions (Schedule K-1 from S-corp or partnership), which can be the larger income component for established practice owners. In Arkansas, this typically means the BLS-reported median understates total earnings for solo or small-group practice owners by 20-50% once distributions are netted in. Associate dentists employed by DSOs or owner-dentists are accurately represented by the BLS figure.

Is dental school tuition ROI still positive in Arkansas?

DDS/DMD programs run 4 years post-undergrad at $200K-$450K total tuition + $80K-$150K of foregone earnings. With Arkansas dentist median in the BLS table on this page and average 2024 graduating debt around $310K, breakeven on the cash investment typically lands 8-15 years post-graduation depending on practice setting and loan-repayment strategy. Specialty residency (3+ extra years in ortho/oral surgery/endo) substantially extends time-to-breakeven but lifts terminal earning power — specialty dentists in Arkansas commonly clear the BLS general-dentist P90 within their first 5 practice years.

2026 Dentist Salary — Arkansas ($172K BLS, RPP-Adjusted Real Wage)

TL;DR

BLS reports Arkansas Dentist median pay at $172,490. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $198,698.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #12 of 51; nominal rank is #22.
Below-100 RPP flips this state above its nominal rank in real-wage terms; the gap is about $26,208.
Mid-band breakdown: P25 $156,160, P50 $172,490, P75 $214,990. Tail percentiles withheld by BLS — common when tech-sector wages exceed the OES survey cap.

Wage breakdown — Arkansas

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$82,920	$95,519
P25 (lower quartile)	$156,160	$179,887
P50 (median)	$172,490	$198,698
P75 (upper quartile)	$214,990	$247,656
P90 (top tier)
Mean	$178,290	$205,380
Employment	990 Dentists in Arkansas

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Arkansas index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	86.8
Goods	93.1
Services	81.9
Rents	56.7

Arkansas sits below the national baseline (RPP 86.8), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 56.7.

After-tax take-home — Arkansas (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Dentist)	$172,490	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$30,216	17.5% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$6,228	0–3.9% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$13,195	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$122,851	71.2% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$141,517	÷ (86.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Arkansas state-tax burden means for Dentist take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.6% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $122,851 (71.2% of gross). After the 86.8 RPP, real take-home is $141,517.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $172,790 for Dentists with mean pay of $196,100 and total employment of 113,490. Arkansas sits at #22 on nominal pay and #12 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Arkansas climbs 10 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Dentist make in Arkansas?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $172,490 for Dentists in Arkansas as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $156,160 and the 75th-percentile is $214,990.
How many Dentists does Arkansas employ?: BLS OES counts 990 Dentists employed in Arkansas in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Why is the BEA RPP for Arkansas different from a single CPI number?: BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Arkansas's overall index of 86.8 reflects rents 56.7, services 81.9, and goods 93.1.
What are the limits of these Dentist salary numbers?: BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Arkansas?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Arkansas.
Does the BLS dentist median capture practice-owner income in Arkansas?: Partially. BLS OEWS reports W-2 earnings, which captures dentist-owners who pay themselves a salary through the practice but excludes pass-through profit distributions (Schedule K-1 from S-corp or partnership), which can be the larger income component for established practice owners. In Arkansas, this typically means the BLS-reported median understates total earnings for solo or small-group practice owners by 20-50% once distributions are netted in. Associate dentists employed by DSOs or owner-dentists are accurately represented by the BLS figure.
Is dental school tuition ROI still positive in Arkansas?: DDS/DMD programs run 4 years post-undergrad at $200K-$450K total tuition + $80K-$150K of foregone earnings. With Arkansas dentist median in the BLS table on this page and average 2024 graduating debt around $310K, breakeven on the cash investment typically lands 8-15 years post-graduation depending on practice setting and loan-repayment strategy. Specialty residency (3+ extra years in ortho/oral surgery/endo) substantially extends time-to-breakeven but lifts terminal earning power — specialty dentists in Arkansas commonly clear the BLS general-dentist P90 within their first 5 practice years.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 29-1021, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-07.

Cross-comparison: see how Arkansas Dentist pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.