Healthcare

Dentist Salary in Missouri (2026)

The average Dentist in Missouri earns around $195,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $137,207/year ($11,434/month).

Take-Home Pay Breakdown

CategoryAmount
Annual Take-Home Pay
$137,207
Monthly Take-Home Pay
$11,434
Biweekly Take-Home Pay
$5,277
Hourly Take-Home Pay

based on 2,080 hrs/year

$66/hr
Federal Tax
$35,534
State Tax
$7,993
FICA Taxes
$14,267
Effective Tax Rate

total taxes ÷ gross salary

29.64%
Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

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Dentist Salary Ranges in Missouri

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

Missouri's dental market is anchored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry (the only DDS program in Missouri, ~110 DDS graduates per year), A.T. Still University Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (Kirksville, DMD program — second MO dental school, ~50 graduates per year), plus suburban St. Louis + Kansas City group practices, DSO networks (Heartland Dental, Pacific Dental Services, Aspen Dental footprint), and academic faculty at UMKC and BJC HealthCare oral surgery + endodontic practices.

Oral Surgeon / OMS Specialist

$385,000–$685,000+ TC

BJC oral surgery · UMKC OMFS · private OMFS practice · facial trauma + dental implant specialty

Orthodontist

$285,000–$485,000

Senior orthodontic practice owners · suburban STL + KC + Springfield · Invisalign certification standard

Endodontist

$245,000–$425,000

Root canal specialty · BJC endodontic faculty · private endodontic practice · referral from GPs

Periodontist

$245,000–$415,000

Gum disease + dental implant placement · private periodontal practice · UMKC faculty mix

Pediatric Dentist

$215,000–$385,000

St. Louis Children's Hospital pediatric dentistry · UMKC pediatric · private pediatric DDS

Senior General Dentist (Practice Owner)

$185,000–$345,000

Established suburban St. Louis or Kansas City practice with book of business · DDS / DMD

Associate Dentist (5-10 yrs)

$135,000–$195,000

Senior associate at established practice · transition-to-ownership track · production + collection

New DDS / DMD (0-3 yrs)

$135,000–$175,000

Post-UMKC + A.T. Still graduates · DSO + group practice + community health center entry

Public Health Dentist

$95,000–$155,000

Community health center · MO Medicaid + Hoosier-equivalent (Show-Me) practice · loan forgiveness

Academic Faculty (UMKC / A.T. Still)

$165,000–$245,000

UMKC School of Dentistry faculty + A.T. Still Kirksville faculty · part-time clinical mix

Worth knowing: Missouri operates two distinctive dental education institutions. The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry (founded 1881) is the only DDS-granting institution in Missouri, graduating ~110 DDS dentists per year. A.T. Still University Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (Kirksville, opened 2013) operates a DMD program with ~50 graduates per year, focused on rural + underserved practice missions. Together these programs supply roughly 50-60% of MO's licensed dentist pipeline; the remainder come from out-of-state DDS programs (Indiana University School of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Iowa). MO is HPSA-designated for dental health professional shortage in roughly 50% of counties (predominantly rural southeast + south-central MO) — driving sustained loan-forgiveness programs and rural-practice premium. DSO networks (Heartland Dental, Pacific Dental, Aspen Dental, Dental One) have aggressive MO suburban presence in St. Louis + Kansas City + Springfield. The 1% city earnings tax in St. Louis applies to dental practice wages earned within city limits — most suburban dental practices avoid this; BJC HealthCare oral surgery + endodontic practices on the WashU/BJC Central West End campus pay 1% on city-earned wages.

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