Dentist Salary in North Carolina: What Dentists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$151,810
Median (50th)
$207,000
75th percentile
$232,880
National median
$170,950
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1021), May 2025
What does a dentist make in North Carolina?
The median dentist in North Carolina earns $207,000 a year ($99.52 an hour), which is $36,050 above the national median of $170,950, and more than in nearby Georgia ($206,760) and Virginia ($197,110) but less than in Tennessee ($215,290). The mean is $207,550.
That ranks 7th of the 47 states where BLS publishes a dentist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in North Carolina
The middle half of North Carolina dentists earn $151,810 to $232,880. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $107,810, $21,560 above the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $337,630, $18,000 above the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in North Carolina
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts North Carolina's 2024 price level at 94.3 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 5.7% below the national average, and housing (index 81.4) runs 18.6% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $207,000 median is worth about $219,450 — $48,500 above the national median of $170,950.
How many dentists work in North Carolina
BLS counts about 4,140 dentist jobs in North Carolina, 3.3% of the 124,390 nationwide, or 0.837 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dentists hold a 5% larger share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 1.05).
Dentist Salary by City in North Carolina
Across the 14 North Carolina metro areas where BLS publishes a dentist median, pay runs from $161,810 in Rocky Mount to $208,490 in Durham, a spread of $46,680.
All dental roles by metro: Asheville · Burlington · Charlotte · Durham · Fayetteville · Greensboro · Greenville · Hickory · Raleigh · Rocky Mount · Winston
Who's hiring dentists in North Carolina now
DentistryHires has 33 open dentist listings in North Carolina from 3 employers, the most of them in Charlotte (4). None of them posts a pay figure.
Dentist Regulatory Context in North Carolina
Dentist practice in North Carolina is regulated by the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners.
Scope of practice — what a dentist may do, and under what level of supervision — is set by state law and changes over time, so verify current rules with the board before relying on them.
How North Carolina Compares
Other dental salaries in North Carolina
- Dental Hygienist salary in North Carolina: median $97,850, $109,150 below the dentist median
- Dental Assistant salary in North Carolina: median $50,380, $156,620 below the dentist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in North Carolina: median $49,700, $157,300 below the dentist median
- Orthodontist salary in North Carolina: median $224,990
- Oral Surgeon salary in North Carolina: median $224,040
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state and national estimates, all industries); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024. Price-adjusted pay divides the median by the price level. Listing counts and posted pay are live DentistryHires listings, refreshed hourly. A dash means BLS did not publish that figure; nothing is estimated.