How much does a Dentist make in Nevada?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $125,180 for Dentists in Nevada as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $99,980 and the 75th-percentile is $166,580.

How many Dentists does Nevada employ?

BLS OES counts 1,040 Dentists employed in Nevada in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Where does Nevada rank for Dentist pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Nevada ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

Is Nevada a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Dentists?

No — Nevada's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Nevada?

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 Nevada.

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

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 Nevada, 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 Nevada?

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

Dentist Salary in Nevada (2026): $125K Median, BEA RPP-Adjusted

TL;DR

BLS reports Nevada Dentist median pay at $125,180. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $127,916.
Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
P25-P75 spread runs $99,980 to $166,580; P10 floor $92,110, P90 ceiling $213,080.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #45 of 51; nominal rank is #46.

Wage breakdown — Nevada

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$92,110	$94,123
P25 (lower quartile)	$99,980	$102,165
P50 (median)	$125,180	$127,916
P75 (upper quartile)	$166,580	$170,221
P90 (top tier)	$213,080	$217,737
Mean	$146,480	$149,682
Employment	1,040 Dentists in Nevada

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Nevada index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	97.9
Goods	96.8
Services	91.3
Rents	113.3

Nevada's overall RPP (97.9) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Dentist)	$125,180	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$18,861	15.1% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	$0	no state income tax
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$9,576	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$96,743	77.3% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$98,857	÷ (97.9 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Nevada levies no state income tax on wages, which is worth roughly $6,259 a year for a Dentist at the BLS median compared with the national-average state burden (≈5%). After the favorable cost of living, real take-home is $98,857 — higher than the nominal after-tax figure because RPP is below 100.

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. Nevada sits at #46 on nominal pay and #45 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Nevada climbs 1 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Dentist make in Nevada?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $125,180 for Dentists in Nevada as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $99,980 and the 75th-percentile is $166,580.
How many Dentists does Nevada employ?: BLS OES counts 1,040 Dentists employed in Nevada in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Where does Nevada rank for Dentist pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Nevada ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
Is Nevada a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Dentists?: No — Nevada's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Nevada?: 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 Nevada.
Does the BLS dentist median capture practice-owner income in Nevada?: 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 Nevada, 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 Nevada?: DDS/DMD programs run 4 years post-undergrad at $200K-$450K total tuition + $80K-$150K of foregone earnings. With Nevada 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 Nevada 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 Nevada 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.