General Dentist salary in Raleigh
Raleigh–Cary, NC
The verified BLS median general dentist in the Raleigh metro earns $207,380 ($99.70/hr). Raleigh pays roughly 21% above the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in Raleigh: the analysis
At a verified median of $207,380, general dentists in Raleigh 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, Raleigh ranks 43rd.
Compared with North Carolina as a whole (median $207,000), Raleigh 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 $132,880, while the top tenth earn $378,960 or more — a spread of about $246,080. 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 1,000 general dentists employed in Raleigh — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Raleigh, a general dentist earns about 2.1× what a dental hygienist earns and about 3.5× what a dental assistant earns ($98,800, $58,750 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — Raleigh (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $132,880 |
| 25th percentilei | $167,110 |
| Median (50th)i | $207,380 |
| 75th percentilei | $315,460 |
| 90th percentilei | $378,960 |
| Mean (average)i | $229,400 |
North Carolina context
North Carolina verified median: $207,000.
General Dentist salary in North Carolina →Estimate your pay
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in Raleigh?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the Raleigh metro earns about $207,380 ($99.70/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Raleigh general dentist pay compare to North Carolina overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Raleigh metro median is about $207,380, versus the verified BLS OEWS North Carolina statewide median of about $207,000.
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