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
What Dentist Job Listings in North Carolina Show Right Now
From the 26 active dentist listings on DentistryHires as of November 13, 2026.
Employers with the most openings
Benefits listings name
- Health insurancenamed in 85%
- Paid or provided CEnamed in 77%
- Advancement opportunitiesnamed in 62%
- Paid time offnamed in 46%
- Uncapped earning potentialnamed in 46%
- 401(k) plannamed in 42%
- Dental or vision coveragenamed in 42%
- Malpractice insurancenamed in 42%
Source: active dentist listings on DentistryHires, updated daily. Pay figures use only listings that state pay (midpoint of each posted range) and are hidden when one employer posted most of them. Benefits count listings that name the benefit; a listing that doesn’t mention one may still offer it.
Browse 26 jobs →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.