Orthodontist salary in Nashville
Nashville–Davidson––Murfreesboro––Franklin, TN
The verified BLS median orthodontist in the Nashville metro earns $361,650 ($173.87/hr). Nashville pays roughly 25% above the national median of $289,140.
Orthodontist pay in Nashville: the analysis
At a verified median of $361,650, orthodontists in Nashville earn substantially above the U.S. median of $289,140 — a gap of about 25%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports orthodontist pay, Nashville ranks 8th.
Compared with Tennessee as a whole (median $339,610), Nashville pays orthodontists about 6% 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 orthodontists in this metro area earn around $100,400, while the top tenth earn $363,310 or more — a spread of about $262,910. 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.
Within Nashville, a orthodontist earns about 1.7× what a general dentist earns, about 3.8× what a dental hygienist earns and about 7.5× what a dental assistant earns ($215,290, $94,030, $48,540 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Orthodontist pay distribution — Nashville (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $100,400 |
| 25th percentilei | $197,080 |
| Median (50th)i | $361,650 |
| 75th percentilei | $363,310 |
| 90th percentilei | $363,310 |
| Mean (average)i | $279,600 |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a orthodontist make in Nashville?
The verified BLS OEWS median orthodontist in the Nashville metro earns about $361,650 ($173.87/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Nashville orthodontist pay compare to Tennessee overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Nashville metro median is about $361,650, versus the verified BLS OEWS Tennessee statewide median of about $339,610.
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