General Dentist salary in Des Moines
Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA
The verified BLS median general dentist in the Des Moines metro earns $209,300 ($100.62/hr). Des Moines pays roughly 22% above the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in Des Moines: the analysis
At a verified median of $209,300, general dentists in Des Moines earn notably above the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 22%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, Des Moines ranks 35th.
Compared with Iowa as a whole (median $181,520), Des Moines pays general dentists about 15% more — notably above the statewide figure. Local demand, cost of labor, and the mix of practices drive most of that difference.
The pay range is wide: the lowest-paid tenth of general dentists in this metro area earn around $137,870, while the top tenth earn $259,990 or more — a spread of about $122,120. That gap reflects experience, practice setting, and local demand more than any single factor, so an individual offer can sit well above or below the midpoint.
The BLS counts roughly 360 general dentists employed in Des Moines — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Des Moines, a general dentist earns about 2.2× what a dental hygienist earns and about 4.2× what a dental assistant earns ($93,660, $50,020 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — Des Moines (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $137,870 |
| 25th percentilei | $175,000 |
| Median (50th)i | $209,300 |
| 75th percentilei | $216,210 |
| 90th percentilei | $259,990 |
| Mean (average)i | $204,670 |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in Des Moines?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the Des Moines metro earns about $209,300 ($100.62/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Des Moines general dentist pay compare to Iowa overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Des Moines metro median is about $209,300, versus the verified BLS OEWS Iowa statewide median of about $181,520.
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