Dentist Salary in Arkansas (2026)
The average Dentist in Arkansas earns around $195,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $137,686/year ($11,474/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $137,686 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $11,474 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $5,296 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $66/hr |
Federal Tax | $35,534 |
State Tax | $7,514 |
FICA Taxes | $14,267 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 29.39% |
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Dentist Salary Ranges in Arkansas
Not all Dentists earn the same — not even close
Arkansas's dentist market is distinctive in that AR has no in-state DDS-granting institution — AR dentists currently train at out-of-state programs (UAB School of Dentistry Birmingham + UTHSC College of Dentistry Memphis + Texas A&M College of Dentistry Dallas + UMMC School of Dentistry Jackson + Meharry School of Dentistry Nashville + LSU School of Dentistry NOLA) with substantial post-graduation AR-relocation pipeline. UAMS announced plans in 2023 for AR's first dental school + the proposed UAMS College of Dental Medicine but the program had not enrolled students as of 2026. The substantial AR DSO + corporate dentistry presence (Heartland Dental + Aspen Dental + Pacific Dental Services + MyDentist + Western Dental AR practices), private group + solo + boutique cosmetic + implant + ortho + pedo across Little Rock + Bentonville + Fayetteville + Fort Smith + Springdale + Conway.
Senior Specialty Dentist (Endo / Perio / Pros / OMS)
$255,000–$525,000+ TC
Board-certified specialty · endo + perio + pros + OMS · AR private specialty practice
Senior Orthodontist
$265,000–$485,000+ TC
Ortho at AR private specialty practice · ABO certified · AR private + DSO partnership
Senior Pediatric Dentist
$225,000–$385,000+ TC
Pedo at Arkansas Children Hospital + AR Children NW + AR private pedo practice
Senior General Dentist (Private Practice)
$165,000–$315,000+
Private practice general dentist · Little Rock + Bentonville + Fayetteville · book of business
Senior Cosmetic / Implant Dentist
$195,000–$425,000+
Cosmetic + implant practice · Little Rock + Bentonville · AGD MAGD + AAID credential
Senior General Dentist (DSO / Heartland / Aspen)
$148,000–$255,000+ bonus
DSO at Heartland Dental + Aspen Dental + Pacific Dental Services AR · sign-on + production bonus
Senior Walmart Health Dentist
$165,000–$285,000+ TC
Walmart Health Centers AR dental services · substantial Walmart-internal dentist employment
Senior Public Health / FQHC Dentist
$125,000–$195,000
AR FQHC + RHC + AR Department of Health + NHSC LRP eligible · AR Delta + Ozarks HPSA
Mid-Level Dentist (3-6 yrs)
$135,000–$215,000
Mid-career dentist · transitioning to specialty + private practice ownership
New Grad DDS (0-2 yrs)
$125,000–$175,000
New grad DDS · UAB + UTHSC + TAMU + UMMC + Meharry + LSU out-of-state pipeline · entry band
Worth knowing: Arkansas currently has no in-state DDS-granting institution — a distinctive structural feature most national dentist compensation surveys understate for AR. AR dentists train at out-of-state programs including UAB School of Dentistry Birmingham + UTHSC College of Dentistry Memphis + Texas A&M College of Dentistry Dallas + UMMC School of Dentistry Jackson + Meharry School of Dentistry Nashville + LSU School of Dentistry NOLA with substantial post-graduation AR-relocation pipeline + the substantial AR Dental Association coordination with neighboring state dental schools for AR-specific clinical placements + the substantial AR State Board of Dental Examiners licensure reciprocity work. UAMS announced plans in 2023 for AR's first dental school + the proposed UAMS College of Dental Medicine with the AR Legislature appropriating ~$148M of initial funding for a dental school facility + program development, but the program had not enrolled students as of 2026 + remained in pre-launch facility + curriculum development phase + the dental school launch timeline targets late 2020s. The substantial AR DSO + corporate dentistry presence (Heartland Dental Effingham IL-HQ'd + Aspen Dental Indianapolis-HQ'd + Pacific Dental Services Irvine CA-HQ'd AR practices) supports substantial AR new grad DDS placement + sign-on bonus + production bonus + partnership pathway opportunities. The substantial AR Walmart Health Centers dental services (~30+ Walmart Health locations across AR + multi-state with substantial Walmart-internal dentist employment + the substantial Walmart-pricing transparency model + Walmart-Affordable-Healthcare initiative) supports substantial Walmart-employed AR dental work. AR Delta + Ozarks substantial rural HPSA + AR Federally Qualified Health Center + Rural Health Clinic + AR Department of Health dental clinic + NHSC Loan Repayment Program eligible positions support substantial underserved AR community dental work. AR progressive 2-4.4% top phasing to 3.9% by 2026 + AR RTW since 1947 + AR property tax ~0.61% + no state estate tax + lower NW Arkansas + Little Rock cost of living anchor the AR dentist proposition.
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More on Arkansas
Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for Arkansas in 2026.
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