General Dentist salary in Houston
Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands, TX
The verified BLS median general dentist in the Houston metro earns $98,570 ($47.39/hr). Houston pays roughly 42% below the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in Houston: the analysis
At a verified median of $98,570, general dentists in Houston earn substantially below the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 42%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, Houston ranks 377th.
Compared with Texas as a whole (median $162,360), Houston pays general dentists about 39% 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 $76,790, while the top tenth earn $306,110 or more — a spread of about $229,320. 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 1,660 general dentists employed in Houston — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Houston, a general dentist earns about 1.1× less than a dental hygienist and about 2.3× what a dental assistant earns ($104,930, $43,730 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — Houston (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $76,790 |
| 25th percentilei | $97,200 |
| Median (50th)i | $98,570 |
| 75th percentilei | $168,990 |
| 90th percentilei | $306,110 |
| Mean (average)i | $156,500 |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in Houston?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the Houston metro earns about $98,570 ($47.39/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Houston general dentist pay compare to Texas overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Houston metro median is about $98,570, versus the verified BLS OEWS Texas statewide median of about $162,360.
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