Why is the BEA RPP for Idaho 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. Idaho's overall index of 92.2 reflects rents 86.9, services 68.1, and goods 95.9.

How wide is the wage spread in Idaho?

P10 to P90 spans $124,760 to $231,900. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

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 Idaho?

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 Idaho.

When does this data update?

BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.

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

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 Idaho, 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 Idaho?

DDS/DMD programs run 4 years post-undergrad at $200K-$450K total tuition + $80K-$150K of foregone earnings. With Idaho 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 Idaho commonly clear the BLS general-dentist P90 within their first 5 practice years.

Dentist Pay in Idaho: $167K Median + Purchasing Power (2026)

TL;DR

BLS reports Idaho Dentist median pay at $166,560. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $180,580.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #25 of 51; nominal rank is #27.
Low BEA RPP (92.2) means the paycheck stretches further than the BLS number suggests; net lift roughly $14,020.
Quartile range $133,320 (bottom 25%) to $203,150 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $124,760 to $231,900.

Wage breakdown — Idaho

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$124,760	$135,262
P25 (lower quartile)	$133,320	$144,542
P50 (median)	$166,560	$180,580
P75 (upper quartile)	$203,150	$220,250
P90 (top tier)	$231,900	$251,420
Mean	$173,570	$188,180
Employment	690 Dentists in Idaho

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Idaho index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	92.2
Goods	95.9
Services	68.1
Rents	86.9

Idaho sits below the national baseline (RPP 92.2), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 86.9.

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Dentist)	$166,560	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$28,792	17.3% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$8,747	5.8% flat (2026)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$12,742	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$116,279	69.8% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$126,067	÷ (92.2 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Mid-band state-tax burden at 5.3% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $116,279 (69.8% of gross). After the 92.2 RPP, real take-home is $126,067.

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. Idaho sits at #27 on nominal pay and #25 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Idaho climbs 2 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the BEA RPP for Idaho 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. Idaho's overall index of 92.2 reflects rents 86.9, services 68.1, and goods 95.9.
How wide is the wage spread in Idaho?: P10 to P90 spans $124,760 to $231,900. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
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 Idaho?: 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 Idaho.
When does this data update?: BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
Does the BLS dentist median capture practice-owner income in Idaho?: 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 Idaho, 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 Idaho?: DDS/DMD programs run 4 years post-undergrad at $200K-$450K total tuition + $80K-$150K of foregone earnings. With Idaho 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 Idaho 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 Idaho 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.