How much do dentists make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for dentists in 2012 was $149,310 per year. The top 10 percent of dentists earned $187,200 or more, and the lowest 10 percent earned less than $73,840.

Employment in the dentist profession is expected to grow 16 percent from 2012 to 2022, somewhat faster than the projected average for all occupations. In part, this is due to the fact that the baby-boomer generation is likely to need complicated dental work in that time frame. In addition, many dentists are expected to retire during that time, so replacement dentists are needed.