General Dentist salary in Durham
Durham–Chapel Hill, NC
The verified BLS median general dentist in the Durham metro earns $208,490 ($100.24/hr). Durham pays roughly 22% above the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in Durham: the analysis
At a verified median of $208,490, general dentists in Durham earn notably above the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 22%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, Durham ranks 37th.
Compared with North Carolina as a whole (median $207,000), Durham 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 $119,990, while the top tenth earn $333,410 or more — a spread of about $213,420. 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 200 general dentists employed in Durham — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Durham, a general dentist earns about 2.1× what a dental hygienist earns and about 4.0× what a dental assistant earns ($101,460, $51,670 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — Durham (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $119,990 |
| 25th percentilei | $156,990 |
| Median (50th)i | $208,490 |
| 75th percentilei | $269,550 |
| 90th percentilei | $333,410 |
| Mean (average)i | $217,070 |
North Carolina context
North Carolina verified median: $207,000.
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in Durham?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the Durham metro earns about $208,490 ($100.24/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Durham general dentist pay compare to North Carolina overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Durham metro median is about $208,490, versus the verified BLS OEWS North Carolina statewide median of about $207,000.
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