General Dentist salary in Columbia
Columbia, MO
The verified BLS median general dentist in the Columbia metro earns $207,450 ($99.74/hr). Columbia pays roughly 21% above the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in Columbia: the analysis
At a verified median of $207,450, general dentists in Columbia earn notably above the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 21%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, Columbia ranks 41st.
Compared with Missouri as a whole (median $204,960), Columbia tracks the statewide median closely. 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 $88,610, while the top tenth earn $352,760 or more — a spread of about $264,150. 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 60 general dentists employed in Columbia — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Columbia, a general dentist earns about 2.4× what a dental hygienist earns and about 4.4× what a dental assistant earns ($86,300, $46,920 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — Columbia (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $88,610 |
| 25th percentilei | $174,990 |
| Median (50th)i | $207,450 |
| 75th percentilei | $264,990 |
| 90th percentilei | $352,760 |
| Mean (average)i | $222,070 |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in Columbia?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the Columbia metro earns about $207,450 ($99.74/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Columbia general dentist pay compare to Missouri overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Columbia metro median is about $207,450, versus the verified BLS OEWS Missouri statewide median of about $204,960.
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