General Dentist salary in Memphis
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
The verified BLS median general dentist in the Memphis metro earns $238,040 ($114.44/hr). Memphis pays roughly 39% above the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in Memphis: the analysis
At a verified median of $238,040, general dentists in Memphis earn substantially above the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 39%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, Memphis ranks 2nd.
Compared with Tennessee as a whole (median $215,290), Memphis pays general dentists about 11% more — modestly above the statewide figure. 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 $72,420, while the top tenth earn $276,050 or more — a spread of about $203,630. 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 280 general dentists employed in Memphis — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Memphis, a general dentist earns about 3.0× what a dental hygienist earns and about 4.9× what a dental assistant earns ($78,580, $48,200 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — Memphis (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $72,420 |
| 25th percentilei | $135,830 |
| Median (50th)i | $238,040 |
| 75th percentilei | $273,390 |
| 90th percentilei | $276,050 |
| Mean (average)i | $208,090 |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in Memphis?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the Memphis metro earns about $238,040 ($114.44/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Memphis general dentist pay compare to Tennessee overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Memphis metro median is about $238,040, versus the verified BLS OEWS Tennessee statewide median of about $215,290.
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