Side-by-side license comparison
| Metric | Dentist | Registered Nurse (RN) |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Median Salary | $170,910 | $89,010 |
| Avg Initial Fee | $498 | $195 |
| Difficulty | Very High | High |
| Education | DDS/DMD (4 years post-bachelor) | BSN or ADN |
| Exam | NBDE Parts I & II + Regional/State | NCLEX-RN |
| Time to License | 8 years | 2-4 years |
| Renewal Period | Every 2 yr | Every 2 yr |
| CE Hours / Cycle | 40 hrs | 30 hrs |
| States Requiring | 53 of 53 | 53 of 53 |
Dentist earns $81,900 more per year on average. Over a 10-year career span, that adds up to approximately $819,000 in additional earnings.
The LicenseWize editorial team aggregates and verifies licenses data from Bureau of Labor Statistics & State Licensing Boards. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.