diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/column/column-reader-test.cc b/cpp/src/parquet/column/column-reader-test.cc
index 855669a9fc76d..6cd8925cfe70e 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/column/column-reader-test.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/column/column-reader-test.cc
@@ -155,5 +155,70 @@ TEST_F(TestPrimitiveReader, TestInt32FlatRepeated) {
   ExecuteDict(num_pages, levels_per_page, &descr);
 }
 
+TEST_F(TestPrimitiveReader, TestDictionaryEncodedPages) {
+  max_def_level_ = 0;
+  max_rep_level_ = 0;
+  NodePtr type = schema::Int32("a", Repetition::REQUIRED);
+  const ColumnDescriptor descr(type, max_def_level_, max_rep_level_);
+  shared_ptr<OwnedMutableBuffer> dummy = std::make_shared<OwnedMutableBuffer>();
+
+  shared_ptr<DictionaryPage> dict_page = std::make_shared<DictionaryPage>(dummy,
+      0, Encoding::PLAIN);
+  shared_ptr<DataPage> data_page = MakeDataPage<Int32Type>(&descr, {}, 0,
+      Encoding::RLE_DICTIONARY, {}, 0, {}, 0, {}, 0);
+  pages_.push_back(dict_page);
+  pages_.push_back(data_page);
+  InitReader(&descr);
+  // Tests Dict : PLAIN, Data : RLE_DICTIONARY
+  ASSERT_NO_THROW(reader_->HasNext());
+  pages_.clear();
+
+  dict_page = std::make_shared<DictionaryPage>(dummy,
+      0, Encoding::PLAIN_DICTIONARY);
+  data_page = MakeDataPage<Int32Type>(&descr, {}, 0,
+      Encoding::PLAIN_DICTIONARY, {}, 0, {}, 0, {}, 0);
+  pages_.push_back(dict_page);
+  pages_.push_back(data_page);
+  InitReader(&descr);
+  // Tests Dict : PLAIN_DICTIONARY, Data : PLAIN_DICTIONARY
+  ASSERT_NO_THROW(reader_->HasNext());
+  pages_.clear();
+
+  data_page = MakeDataPage<Int32Type>(&descr, {}, 0,
+      Encoding::RLE_DICTIONARY, {}, 0, {}, 0, {}, 0);
+  pages_.push_back(data_page);
+  InitReader(&descr);
+  // Tests dictionary page must occur before data page
+  ASSERT_THROW(reader_->HasNext(), ParquetException);
+  pages_.clear();
+
+  dict_page = std::make_shared<DictionaryPage>(dummy,
+      0, Encoding::DELTA_BYTE_ARRAY);
+  pages_.push_back(dict_page);
+  InitReader(&descr);
+  // Tests only RLE_DICTIONARY is supported
+  ASSERT_THROW(reader_->HasNext(), ParquetException);
+  pages_.clear();
+
+  shared_ptr<DictionaryPage> dict_page1 = std::make_shared<DictionaryPage>(dummy,
+      0, Encoding::PLAIN_DICTIONARY);
+  shared_ptr<DictionaryPage> dict_page2 = std::make_shared<DictionaryPage>(dummy,
+      0, Encoding::PLAIN);
+  pages_.push_back(dict_page1);
+  pages_.push_back(dict_page2);
+  InitReader(&descr);
+  // Column cannot have more than one dictionary
+  ASSERT_THROW(reader_->HasNext(), ParquetException);
+  pages_.clear();
+
+  data_page = MakeDataPage<Int32Type>(&descr, {}, 0,
+      Encoding::DELTA_BYTE_ARRAY, {}, 0, {}, 0, {}, 0);
+  pages_.push_back(data_page);
+  InitReader(&descr);
+  // unsupported encoding
+  ASSERT_THROW(reader_->HasNext(), ParquetException);
+  pages_.clear();
+}
+
 } // namespace test
 } // namespace parquet_cpp
diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/column/reader.cc b/cpp/src/parquet/column/reader.cc
index 2885ebeabfc8b..bf76d4cc78eed 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/column/reader.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/column/reader.cc
@@ -37,26 +37,35 @@ ColumnReader::ColumnReader(const ColumnDescriptor* descr,
 
 template <int TYPE>
 void TypedColumnReader<TYPE>::ConfigureDictionary(const DictionaryPage* page) {
-  int encoding = static_cast<int>(Encoding::RLE_DICTIONARY);
+  int encoding = static_cast<int>(page->encoding());
+  if (page->encoding() == Encoding::PLAIN_DICTIONARY ||
+      page->encoding() == Encoding::PLAIN) {
+    encoding = static_cast<int>(Encoding::RLE_DICTIONARY);
+  }
 
   auto it = decoders_.find(encoding);
   if (it != decoders_.end()) {
     throw ParquetException("Column cannot have more than one dictionary.");
   }
 
-  PlainDecoder<TYPE> dictionary(descr_);
-  dictionary.SetData(page->num_values(), page->data(), page->size());
-
-  // The dictionary is fully decoded during DictionaryDecoder::Init, so the
-  // DictionaryPage buffer is no longer required after this step
-  //
-  // TODO(wesm): investigate whether this all-or-nothing decoding of the
-  // dictionary makes sense and whether performance can be improved
-
-  auto decoder = std::make_shared<DictionaryDecoder<TYPE> >(descr_);
-  decoder->SetDict(&dictionary);
+  if (page->encoding() == Encoding::PLAIN_DICTIONARY ||
+      page->encoding() == Encoding::PLAIN) {
+    PlainDecoder<TYPE> dictionary(descr_);
+    dictionary.SetData(page->num_values(), page->data(), page->size());
+
+    // The dictionary is fully decoded during DictionaryDecoder::Init, so the
+    // DictionaryPage buffer is no longer required after this step
+    //
+    // TODO(wesm): investigate whether this all-or-nothing decoding of the
+    // dictionary makes sense and whether performance can be improved
+
+    auto decoder = std::make_shared<DictionaryDecoder<TYPE> >(descr_);
+    decoder->SetDict(&dictionary);
+    decoders_[encoding] = decoder;
+  } else {
+    ParquetException::NYI("only plain dictionary encoding has been implemented");
+  }
 
-  decoders_[encoding] = decoder;
   current_decoder_ = decoders_[encoding].get();
 }
 
@@ -130,6 +139,9 @@ bool TypedColumnReader<TYPE>::ReadNewPage() {
 
       auto it = decoders_.find(static_cast<int>(encoding));
       if (it != decoders_.end()) {
+        if (encoding == Encoding::RLE_DICTIONARY) {
+            DCHECK(current_decoder_->encoding() == Encoding::RLE_DICTIONARY);
+        }
         current_decoder_ = it->second.get();
       } else {
         switch (encoding) {
diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/column/scanner-test.cc b/cpp/src/parquet/column/scanner-test.cc
index b52a993f3013c..1d7579e4fc55d 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/column/scanner-test.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/column/scanner-test.cc
@@ -217,6 +217,12 @@ TEST_F(TestFLBAFlatScanner, TestDictScanner) {
       Encoding::RLE_DICTIONARY);
 }
 
+TEST_F(TestFLBAFlatScanner, TestPlainDictScanner) {
+  this->ExecuteAll(num_pages, num_levels_per_page, batch_size, FLBA_LENGTH,
+      Encoding::PLAIN_DICTIONARY);
+}
+
+
 //PARQUET 502
 TEST_F(TestFlatFLBAScanner, TestSmallBatch) {
   NodePtr type = schema::PrimitiveNode::Make("c1", Repetition::REQUIRED,
diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/column/test-util.h b/cpp/src/parquet/column/test-util.h
index c9b08c2a8b035..4d10a4249009e 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/column/test-util.h
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/column/test-util.h
@@ -444,7 +444,8 @@ static int MakePages(const ColumnDescriptor *d, int num_pages, int levels_per_pa
     InitValues<typename Type::c_type>(num_values, values, buffer);
     PaginatePlain<Type>(d, values, def_levels, max_def_level,
         rep_levels, max_rep_level, levels_per_page, values_per_page, pages);
-  } else if (encoding == Encoding::RLE_DICTIONARY) {
+  } else if (encoding == Encoding::RLE_DICTIONARY
+      || encoding == Encoding::PLAIN_DICTIONARY) {
     // Calls InitValues and repeats the data
     InitDictValues<typename Type::c_type>(num_values, levels_per_page, values, buffer);
     PaginateDict<Type>(d, values, def_levels, max_def_level,