General Dentist salary in Rapid City
Rapid City, SD
The verified BLS median general dentist in the Rapid City metro earns $158,140 ($76.03/hr). Rapid City pays roughly 7% below the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in Rapid City: the analysis
At a verified median of $158,140, general dentists in Rapid City earn modestly below the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 7%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, Rapid City ranks 261st.
Compared with South Dakota as a whole (median $158,140), Rapid City 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 $94,560, while the top tenth earn $250,780 or more — a spread of about $156,220. 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 90 general dentists employed in Rapid City — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Rapid City, a general dentist earns about 1.7× what a dental hygienist earns and about 3.3× what a dental assistant earns ($91,890, $47,850 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — Rapid City (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $94,560 |
| 25th percentilei | $103,210 |
| Median (50th)i | $158,140 |
| 75th percentilei | $195,310 |
| 90th percentilei | $250,780 |
| Mean (average)i | $163,710 |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in Rapid City?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the Rapid City metro earns about $158,140 ($76.03/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Rapid City general dentist pay compare to South Dakota overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Rapid City metro median is about $158,140, versus the verified BLS OEWS South Dakota statewide median of about $158,140.
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