General Dentist salary in Nashville
Nashville–Davidson––Murfreesboro––Franklin, TN
The verified BLS median general dentist in the Nashville metro earns $215,290 ($103.51/hr). Nashville pays roughly 26% above the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in Nashville: the analysis
At a verified median of $215,290, general dentists in Nashville earn substantially above the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 26%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, Nashville ranks 16th.
Compared with Tennessee as a whole (median $215,290), Nashville 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 $128,100, while the top tenth earn $340,780 or more — a spread of about $212,680. 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 1,170 general dentists employed in Nashville — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Nashville, a general dentist earns about 2.3× what a dental hygienist earns and about 4.4× what a dental assistant earns ($94,030, $48,540 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — Nashville (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $128,100 |
| 25th percentilei | $157,320 |
| Median (50th)i | $215,290 |
| 75th percentilei | $269,120 |
| 90th percentilei | $340,780 |
| Mean (average)i | $228,100 |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in Nashville?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the Nashville metro earns about $215,290 ($103.51/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Nashville general dentist pay compare to Tennessee overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Nashville metro median is about $215,290, versus the verified BLS OEWS Tennessee statewide median of about $215,290.
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