General Dentist salary in Charleston
Charleston–North Charleston, SC
The verified BLS median general dentist in the Charleston metro earns $121,090 ($58.22/hr). Charleston pays roughly 29% below the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in Charleston: the analysis
At a verified median of $121,090, general dentists in Charleston earn substantially below the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 29%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, Charleston ranks 365th.
Compared with South Carolina as a whole (median $158,640), Charleston pays general dentists about 24% 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 $102,810, while the top tenth earn $227,200 or more — a spread of about $124,390. 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 410 general dentists employed in Charleston — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Charleston, a general dentist earns about 1.3× what a dental hygienist earns and about 2.5× what a dental assistant earns ($94,570, $49,040 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — Charleston (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $102,810 |
| 25th percentilei | $105,170 |
| Median (50th)i | $121,090 |
| 75th percentilei | $159,580 |
| 90th percentilei | $227,200 |
| Mean (average)i | $150,600 |
South Carolina context
South Carolina verified median: $158,640.
General Dentist salary in South Carolina →Estimate your pay
Open calculatorKnow a real number we don’t?
Submit your compensation anonymously. We review every entry and publish only de-identified aggregates above a sample-size threshold.
Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in Charleston?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the Charleston metro earns about $121,090 ($58.22/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Charleston general dentist pay compare to South Carolina overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Charleston metro median is about $121,090, versus the verified BLS OEWS South Carolina statewide median of about $158,640.
Last updated