Median pay: $129,968
Median base pay: $125,000
Job openings: 1,952
To become a dentist, one must have an undergraduate degree, participate in a four year professional dental program and have a Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Medical Dentistry degree. , the job market for dentists is expected to grow 18 percent between 2014 and 2024. The average growth for most occupations in that ten year span is 7 percent.