Dentists salary in Raleigh, NC

Median pay for dentists in Raleigh, NC: $167,360/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $125,990 – $239,200 · about 810 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($165,500) by +$1,860 (+1%).

What it's really worth in Raleigh

With Raleigh's cost of living at 98 (US=100), that $167,360 has the buying power of about $170,159 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $91,818 · median home $438,364 · median rent $1,694/mo.

Full Raleigh cost of living & taxes →

How Raleigh ranks for this job

On raw pay, Raleigh, NC is 73rd of the 171 metros we hold dentists wages for. Once Raleigh's cost of living is applied, it ranks 91st.

The headline number flatters Raleigh. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, dentists here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.

What that salary buys in Raleigh

A median home in Raleigh, NC costs $438,364 — about 2.6× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,694/mo works out at 12% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where dentists earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Raleigh.

Metro	Median pay	vs Raleigh	Rent vs Raleigh
Charlotte, NC	$239,200	+43%	1×
Salem, OR	$226,010	+35%	1×
Anchorage, AK	$225,170	+35%	1×
Phoenix, AZ	$219,600	+31%	1×

Same job elsewhere in NC

Metro	Median pay	vs Raleigh	Rent vs Raleigh
Charlotte, NC	$239,200	+43%	1×
Durham, NC	$209,240	+25%	1×
Hickory, NC	$188,350	+13%	0.9×
Asheville, NC	$178,160	+6%	1×

Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires dentists around Raleigh

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Duke University Health System · Healthcare

Other jobs in Raleigh