Orthodontist salary in North Carolina

At a verified median of $224,990, orthodontists in North Carolina earn notably below the U.S. median of $289,140 — a gap of about 22%. Among the 51 states where the BLS reports orthodontist pay, North Carolina ranks 47th.

The pay range is wide: the lowest-paid tenth of orthodontists in this state earn around $182,170, while the top tenth earn $398,000 or more — a spread of about $215,830. That gap reflects experience, practice setting, and demand more than any single factor, so an individual offer can sit well above or below the midpoint.

The BLS counts roughly 160 orthodontists employed in North Carolina — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.

Within North Carolina, a orthodontist earns about 1.1× what a general dentist earns, about 2.3× what a dental hygienist earns and about 4.5× what a dental assistant earns ($207,000, $97,850, $50,380 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.

Within the state, orthodontist pay is highest in Raleigh at about $331,640 and lowest in Durham at about $199,990. Metro-level demand and cost of living explain most of the in-state variation — see the metro breakdown below.