Healthcare

Dentist Salary in Iowa (2026)

The average Dentist in Iowa earns around $195,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $138,401/year ($11,533/month).

Take-Home Pay Breakdown

CategoryAmount
Annual Take-Home Pay
$138,401
Monthly Take-Home Pay
$11,533
Biweekly Take-Home Pay
$5,323
Hourly Take-Home Pay

based on 2,080 hrs/year

$67/hr
Federal Tax
$35,534
State Tax
$6,798
FICA Taxes
$14,267
Effective Tax Rate

total taxes ÷ gross salary

29.02%
Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

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Key terms:···

Dentist Salary Ranges in Iowa

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

Iowa's dental market is anchored by University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics Iowa City (the only IA DDS-granting institution + ~80 DDS graduates annually + the substantial UI College of Dentistry founded 1882 + the substantial UI Dows Institute for Dental Research + the substantial UI College of Dentistry residency programs in pediatric + endo + perio + ortho + OMFS), the substantial IA independent dental practice ownership (the substantial IA Midwest dental practice + the substantial IA rural dental shortage areas), Delta Dental of Iowa Johnston (the substantial IA dental insurance + Delta Dental nationwide partnership), MercyOne Dental + UnityPoint Dental + IA Federally Qualified Health Center FQHC community dental, the substantial IA pediatric dental practice (the substantial IA-Iowa Medicaid pediatric dental + the substantial IA Smiles for Iowa + the substantial IA SmileMore Children's Dental), the substantial UIHC Stead Family Childrens Dental Clinic + the substantial IA cosmetic + Invisalign + clear aligner.

Senior Practice Owner / Equity Partner

$255,000–$585,000+ profit

Independent + equity-partner DDS · the substantial IA private practice ownership

Senior Specialist (Oral Surgeon / Endo)

$355,000–$885,000+ bonus

OMFS + endodontist + periodontist · the substantial IA specialty referral

Senior Orthodontist

$295,000–$745,000+ profit

Orthodontist · the substantial IA youth + adult orthodontia + Invisalign

Senior Pediatric Dentist

$245,000–$485,000+ bonus

Pediatric dentist · the substantial IA pediatric dental + IA Medicaid pediatric

Senior Cosmetic Dentist

$255,000–$685,000+ profit

Cosmetic DDS · the substantial IA veneer + Invisalign + clear aligner practice

Senior Associate Dentist (Corp / Group)

$155,000–$225,000+ bonus

Associate DDS at IA corporate group practice · Heartland Dental + Aspen Dental + Pacific Dental

Senior UI College of Dentistry Faculty

$215,000–$365,000+ bonus

UI College of Dentistry faculty · the only IA DDS-granting + the substantial UI dental academic

Senior Federal Civilian (VA Iowa City)

$175,000–$275,000

VA Iowa City + VA Central Iowa Des Moines · GS-13/14 federal civilian DDS

Mid-Career Dentist (3-7 yrs)

$148,000–$195,000

Associate DDS at IA practices · transitioning to ownership track

New Dentist (Step 1-2)

$125,000–$165,000

New grad DDS at IA corporate + group practice · entry band

Worth knowing: University of Iowa College of Dentistry founded 1882 + Delta Dental of Iowa Johnston is one of the country's distinctive concentrated US single-state academic dental + dental insurance anchor and a feature most national dental surveys understate for IA. UI College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics (the only IA DDS-granting institution + ~80 DDS graduates annually + founded 1882 as one of the country's oldest US public dental schools + the substantial UI Dows Institute for Dental Research + the substantial UI College of Dentistry residency programs in pediatric + endo + perio + ortho + OMFS + the substantial UI Dental Clinics serving Eastern Iowa) supports substantial IA DDS pipeline. Senior UI College of Dentistry faculty clear $215-365K+ bonus. The substantial IA independent dental practice ownership (the substantial IA Midwest dental practice + the substantial IA rural dental shortage areas + the substantial IA private practice growth driven by IA flat 3.8% post-2026 + the substantial IA Medicaid pediatric dental coverage) supports distinctive IA DDS economics. Senior practice owners + orthodontists + oral surgeons clear $255K-$885K+ profit. Delta Dental of Iowa Johnston (the substantial Iowa dental insurance + the substantial Delta Dental national partnership) + MercyOne Dental + UnityPoint Dental + IA FQHC community dental + Stead Family Childrens Dental Clinic. IA flat 3.8% + IA RTW since 1947 + IA inheritance tax repealed Jan 1 2025 anchor the IA DDS proposition.

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