General Dentist salary in Wilmington
Wilmington, NC
The verified BLS median general dentist in the Wilmington metro earns $185,720 ($89.29/hr). Wilmington pays roughly 9% above the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in Wilmington: the analysis
At a verified median of $185,720, general dentists in Wilmington earn modestly above the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 9%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, Wilmington ranks 107th.
Compared with North Carolina as a whole (median $207,000), Wilmington pays general dentists about 10% less than the statewide median. 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 $98,210, while the top tenth earn $330,890 or more — a spread of about $232,680. 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 220 general dentists employed in Wilmington — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Wilmington, a general dentist earns about 1.9× what a dental hygienist earns and about 3.6× what a dental assistant earns ($96,700, $51,110 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — Wilmington (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $98,210 |
| 25th percentilei | $129,990 |
| Median (50th)i | $185,720 |
| 75th percentilei | $220,540 |
| 90th percentilei | $330,890 |
| Mean (average)i | $198,130 |
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 Wilmington?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the Wilmington metro earns about $185,720 ($89.29/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Wilmington general dentist pay compare to North Carolina overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Wilmington metro median is about $185,720, versus the verified BLS OEWS North Carolina statewide median of about $207,000.
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