General Dentist salary in Iowa City
Iowa City, IA
The verified BLS median general dentist in the Iowa City metro earns $199,410 ($95.87/hr). Iowa City pays roughly 17% above the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in Iowa City: the analysis
At a verified median of $199,410, general dentists in Iowa City earn notably above the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 17%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, Iowa City ranks 79th.
Compared with Iowa as a whole (median $181,520), Iowa City pays general dentists about 10% more — modestly above the statewide figure. Local demand, cost of labor, and the mix of practices drive most of that difference.
The pay range is wide: the lowest-paid tenth of general dentists in this metro area earn around $120,250, while the top tenth earn $252,920 or more — a spread of about $132,670. That gap reflects experience, practice setting, and local demand more than any single factor, so an individual offer can sit well above or below the midpoint.
The BLS counts roughly 50 general dentists employed in Iowa City — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Iowa City, a general dentist earns about 2.2× what a dental hygienist earns and about 4.1× what a dental assistant earns ($92,020, $49,230 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — Iowa City (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $120,250 |
| 25th percentilei | $157,860 |
| Median (50th)i | $199,410 |
| 75th percentilei | $205,260 |
| 90th percentilei | $252,920 |
| Mean (average)i | $189,170 |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in Iowa City?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the Iowa City metro earns about $199,410 ($95.87/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Iowa City general dentist pay compare to Iowa overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Iowa City metro median is about $199,410, versus the verified BLS OEWS Iowa statewide median of about $181,520.
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