The offer with the bigger number is not always the bigger paycheck.
Put a W2 offer next to a 1099 offer and see what each one actually leaves you after self employment tax, benefits you'd have to buy yourself, and retirement money you'd have to fund. Then see the 1099 rate that makes the two even.
If the 1099 offer wins, the entity and retirement setup is where most of the gap lives. That's a 30 minute conversation, not a guess.
Estimate. Self employment tax modeled at 15.3 percent on 92.35 percent of net, with the employer half deductible. The S corp option assumes 45 percent of net paid as salary. The qualified business income deduction is computed on 2026 thresholds with the OBBBA phase-in range, using the standard deduction and the other household income you enter, and phases to zero because dentistry is a specified service business. Federal tax uses the 2026 brackets and standard deduction from Rev. Proc. 2025-32, applied to your household income so the offer is taxed at the rate it actually lands in. State tax is a single rate per state at typical associate income, so states with graduated brackets are approximate, and local income taxes (Maryland counties, New York City, Ohio and Pennsylvania municipalities) are not included. Not tax advice for your situation.