Free tool · For associates
Associate dentist pay calculator
Two offers at 30% can pay very different amounts. What changes the number is what the percentage is applied to, how much lab you carry, and whether the guarantee is a floor or a loan. Enter each offer as the contract states it.
Quick answer
Associate pay = (production or collections) x your percentage, minus your share of lab fees, or the daily guarantee if that is higher. For context, BLS puts the median employed general dentist at $170,955 a year (May 2025).
Data updated: October 2026 (formulas); BLS benchmark May 2025
At full speed. Ask the practice what a full associate schedule produces.
Health insurance, CE allowance, malpractice, retirement match.
At full speed. Ask the practice what a full associate schedule produces.
Health insurance, CE allowance, malpractice, retirement match.
First-year results
| Offer AHighest | Offer B | |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home pay, year one | $148,512 | $153,600 |
| Average per month | $12,376 | $12,800 |
| Effective rate (pay ÷ collections) | 30.4% | 31.4% |
| Lab fees you carry | $12,600 | $11,760 |
| Months paid the guarantee | 3 of 12 | 12 of 12 |
| Draw still owed at year end | — | $24,240 |
| Total with benefits | $154,512 | $159,600 |
| Total, less draw still owed | $154,512 | $135,360 |
Offer A: check before you sign
- Lab fees cut your percentage pay by 9%. Ask whether the lab share applies to remakes too.
Offer B: check before you sign
- You are paid the guarantee in 12 of 12 months. The percentage is not doing the work yet, so the guarantee terms matter more than the percentage.
- The guarantee is recoverable and $24,240 of it is still owed back at year end. Ask what happens to that balance if you leave.
- Lab fees cut your percentage pay by 8%. Ask whether the lab share applies to remakes too.
Questions to ask before you sign
- How are collections paid out after you leave? Production you did but the practice collects later is often forfeited.
- Is the guarantee recoverable (a draw you pay back) or a true floor?
- Which production figure is the percentage applied to: gross, adjusted, or collected?
- What share of lab fees do you carry, and does it include remakes?
- How far and how long does the non-compete reach, and is it enforceable in your state?
- What is the notice period on each side?
- Who sets your schedule, and who decides which patients you see?
- Is there a path to partnership or buy-in, and is it in writing?
General dentist pay by state
| State | Median annual | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $219,211 | $195,000 | $220,230 |
| North Carolina | $207,002 | $151,798 | $232,877 |
| Georgia | $206,773 | $154,544 | $257,899 |
| New York | $183,061 | $109,221 | $221,915 |
| Florida | $174,907 | $128,440 | $229,986 |
| Michigan | $169,936 | $132,558 | $212,638 |
| Ohio | $167,419 | $96,366 | $222,830 |
| Indiana | $166,650 | $123,427 | $281,216 |
| California | $165,963 | $124,467 | $213,262 |
| Texas | $162,365 | $119,995 | $216,382 |
| United States | $170,955 | $125,715 | $224,037 |
Hiring an associate instead? See whether the practice can afford one.
Method and sources
Each month: adjusted production = gross production x (1 − write-off %); collections = adjusted production x collection rate. Percentage pay = the chosen base x your percentage, minus lab fees x your lab share. You are paid the higher of percentage pay and the daily guarantee x days worked.
With a recoverable guarantee (a draw), any month the guarantee tops up your pay adds to a balance. Later months where percentage pay exceeds the guarantee repay that balance before you see the extra. Production ramps up evenly over the months you enter, then holds at full speed.
The starting values are an example offer, not market data. Replace every number with the figures in your offer.
For information only. Not legal, tax or financial advice.
Common questions
What is the difference between a percentage of collections and of production?
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Production is the fee for the work you do. Collections is what the practice actually receives after insurance write-offs and unpaid balances. The same percentage of collections pays less than of gross production.
What is a recoverable daily guarantee?
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A draw. The practice pays you the guarantee when your percentage falls short, then takes it back from later months when you earn more than the guarantee. A non-recoverable guarantee is a true floor.
Should associates pay lab fees?
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Contracts differ: some deduct no lab, some deduct the same percentage you are paid, some deduct half or all of it. It is a negotiable term, and the calculator shows what each arrangement costs you over a year.
What does an associate dentist make?
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BLS does not track associates separately. Its figure for employed general dentists is a median of $170,955 a year (May 2025). An individual offer depends on production, payer mix and contract terms, which is what this calculator models.