Healthcare

Dentist Salary in District Of Columbia (2026)

The average Dentist in District Of Columbia earns around $195,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $131,593/year ($10,966/month).

Take-Home Pay Breakdown

CategoryAmount
Annual Take-Home Pay
$131,593
Monthly Take-Home Pay
$10,966
Biweekly Take-Home Pay
$5,061
Hourly Take-Home Pay

based on 2,080 hrs/year

$63/hr
Federal Tax
$35,534
State Tax
$13,607
FICA Taxes
$14,267
Effective Tax Rate

total taxes ÷ gross salary

32.52%
Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

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Dentist Salary Ranges in District Of Columbia

Entry Level (0–3 yrs)

$145,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Mid Level (3–7 yrs)

$195,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Senior Level (7+ yrs)

$275,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Not all Dentists earn the same — not even close

DC's dentist market is anchored by Howard University College of Dentistry (the only DC DDS-granting institution + ~85 DDSs/yr + the substantial Howard Dental as one of country's substantial HBCU US DDS programs post-1881 founding + the substantial Howard Dental clinical care), post-2020 Georgetown + Cleveland Park + Foxhall + Chevy Chase + Capitol Hill cash-pay private practice (the substantial DC federal employee + Capitol Hill + lobbyist UHNW driving substantial DC cash-pay dental growth + the substantial DC cosmetic + aesthetic dentistry post-2020), DC corporate DSO cluster (Aspen Dental + Pacific Dental Services + Heartland Dental + Western Dental + Smile Direct Club + the substantial post-2020 DC DSO growth), DC FQHC + community health center dental (Unity Health Care + Mary's Center + the substantial DC FQHC dental + the substantial DC SE DC dental access), Howard University Hospital dental + the substantial Howard pediatric dental, plus federal dental (Walter Reed dental + NIH dental + the substantial DC federal civilian + military dental).

Sr Oral / Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMFS)

$525,000–$895,000+ bonus

OMFS at DC major systems + private practice · the substantial post-2020

Sr Orthodontist

$405,000–$725,000+ bonus

Ortho at DC major DSO + private + the substantial DC ortho cash-pay

Sr Periodontist

$305,000–$535,000+ bonus

Perio at DC implant + private practice + post-2020 DC implant demand

Sr Endodontist

$305,000–$535,000+ bonus

Endo at DC implant + private practice + the substantial DC endo demand

Sr Cosmetic / Aesthetic Dentist

$255,000–$525,000+ bonus

Cosmetic at Georgetown + Cleveland Park · post-2020 DC cosmetic cluster

Sr General Dentist (Cash-Pay UHNW)

$195,000–$355,000+ bonus

Cash-pay GP · Georgetown + Cleveland Park + Foxhall + Capitol Hill UHNW

Sr Corporate GP (Aspen / Pacific / Heartland)

$165,000–$285,000+ bonus

Corporate GP · Aspen + Pacific + Heartland + Western · DC DSO

Sr Pediatric Dentist (Howard / Community)

$215,000–$385,000+ bonus

Peds dental at Howard + DC DSO + private + community + the substantial

Sr Federal Dentist (Walter Reed / NIH / VA)

$155,000–$245,000+ GS-12/13

Walter Reed + NIH + VA · federal civilian + military dental

Mid-Level Dentist (3-6 yrs)

$155,000–$245,000+ bonus

Functional dentist at DC practices · transitioning to senior band

New Grad Dentist (DDS / DMD)

$148,000–$195,000+ bonus

DC new grad · Howard DDS + out-of-state DDS pipeline · entry DC DSO

Worth knowing: Howard University College of Dentistry HBCU + post-2020 Georgetown + Cleveland Park UHNW cash-pay dental + Walter Reed + NIH federal dental tri-anchor is one of the country's distinctive concentrated US single-state HBCU DDS + UHNW cash-pay + federal dental cluster and a feature most national dentist surveys understate for DC. Howard University College of Dentistry (the only DC DDS-granting institution + ~85 DDSs/yr + the substantial Howard Dental as one of country's substantial HBCU US DDS programs post-1881 founding + the substantial Howard Dental clinical care). post-2020 Georgetown + Cleveland Park + Foxhall + Chevy Chase + Capitol Hill cash-pay private dental practice (the substantial DC federal employee + Capitol Hill + lobbyist UHNW driving substantial DC cash-pay dental growth). DC corporate DSO (Aspen Dental + Pacific Dental Services + Heartland Dental + Western Dental + Smile Direct Club). DC FQHC + community health center dental (Unity Health Care + Mary's Center). Walter Reed dental + NIH dental + VA federal civilian + military dental. DC progressive top 10.75% + DC NLC since 2024 anchor the DC dentist proposition.

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