Dental Salaries in Corpus Christi, Texas

Dentist: a median of $180,630 a year ($86.84 an hour) in BLS's May 2025 estimate. BLS rates the Corpus Christi dentist wage estimate at ±12.8%. Treat the Corpus Christi dentist figure as a rough signal, not a market rate.

Dental Hygienist: a median of $84,210 a year ($40.49 an hour). That is $15,030 below the Texas dental hygienist median of $99,240 and $13,890 below the national median of $98,100. It ranks 17th of the 23 Texas metro areas where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median.

Dental Assistant: a median of $38,730 a year ($18.62 an hour). That is $6,700 below the Texas dental assistant median of $45,430 and $9,340 below the national median of $48,070. It ranks 19th of the 25 Texas metro areas where BLS publishes a dental assistant median.

Dentist: the middle half of Corpus Christi dentists earn $140,030 to $279,450. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $88,410. The top tenth earn over $282,100. The gap between the two is $193,690.

Dental Hygienist: the middle half of Corpus Christi dental hygienists earn $80,000 to $95,330. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $79,420 (against $71,530 statewide and $74,880 nationally). The top tenth earn over $99,190 (against $117,890 statewide and $126,050 nationally). The gap between the two is $19,770.

Dental Assistant: the middle half of Corpus Christi dental assistants earn $37,480 to $44,900. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $34,420 (against $35,400 statewide and $37,130 nationally). The top tenth earn over $48,630 (against $57,640 statewide and $62,250 nationally). The gap between the two is $14,210.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts the Corpus Christi metro's 2024 price level at 92.7 (U.S. = 100), so prices overall run 7.3% below the national average, and housing costs (index 84.9) run 15.1% below. Texas as a whole sits at 97.1.

Converted to national average prices:

• Dentist: $180,630 here buys about what $194,920 buys at national average prices (low-reliability estimate).
• Dental Hygienist: $84,210 here buys about what $90,870 buys at national average prices — $7,230 below the national median of $98,100.
• Dental Assistant: $38,730 here buys about what $41,790 buys at national average prices — $6,280 below the national median of $48,070.

Dentists: about 90 jobs in the metro, or 0.451 per 1,000 jobs of all kinds. Dentists hold a 44% smaller share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 0.56).

Dental Hygienists: about 150 jobs in the metro, or 0.781 per 1,000 jobs of all kinds. Dental hygienists hold a 45% smaller share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 0.55).

Dental Assistants: about 380 jobs in the metro, or 1.978 per 1,000 jobs of all kinds. Dental assistants hold a 21% smaller share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 0.79).

The closest metro areas with their own salary page and a published median for each role (distance between metro centers, up to 250 miles).

Dentist: Victoria (59 mi) pays $129,430, McAllen (114 mi) pays $134,160 and Brownsville (124 mi) pays $134,550.

Dental Hygienist: Victoria (59 mi) pays $85,680, McAllen (114 mi) pays $82,940 and Brownsville (124 mi) pays $82,860. Corpus Christi's $84,210 is below 1 of the 3.

Dental Assistant: Victoria (59 mi) pays $43,980, McAllen (114 mi) pays $37,230 and Brownsville (124 mi) pays $37,560. Corpus Christi's $38,730 is below 1 of the 3.