Dentist.
Raleigh.
$168,000
median salary, 3% below the national average
$122,000 to $213,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Raleigh is 1% cheaper than the national average. For Dentists, that shakes out to a median of $168,000, with the full range spanning $122,000 to $213,000. Specialization is the largest pay driver, with oral surgeons, orthodontists, and endodontists earning well above general dentists. Know the range before you walk in. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Dentist in Raleigh, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $207,380 for Dentists, General (SOC 29-1021) in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metropolitan area, based on 1,000 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$132,880
25th percentile
$167,110
Median
$207,380
75th percentile
$315,460
90th percentile
$378,960
Workers surveyed
1,000
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Dentists, General (SOC 29-1021) rather than Dentist specifically. The Raleigh range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 29-1021Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $151,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$109,000
to $134,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$143,000
to $176,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$185,000
to $218,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$210,000
to $260,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $34,000 to the total package.
Base
$168,000
Equity
$18,000
Bonus
$13,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $202,000
How Raleigh compares.
Raleigh, NC
$168,000
Cost of living: 1% below average
National Average
$173,000
Raleigh is $5,000 below
Dentist salary by city.
Salary by role in Raleigh.
What you should know.
Here is what the Dentist market actually looks like in Raleigh. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. Cisco, Red Hat, Epic Games, and numerous biotech firms drive strong demand for engineering, research, and product roles. The combination of top tier universities and moderate living costs creates an exceptionally favorable salary to expense ratio. Specialization is the largest pay driver, with oral surgeons, orthodontists, and endodontists earning well above general dentists. Practice ownership versus associateship creates a wide income gap. Geographic location and local competition density affect patient volume and fee schedules, while cosmetic and implant services generate the highest per-procedure revenue.
New associate dentists earn $130,000 to $160,000 on a base plus production model. Experienced associates with five to seven years reach $175,000 to $220,000. Practice owners or partners in multi-location groups can earn $250,000 to $400,000 or more depending on practice profitability. In Raleigh, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Associate dentists often receive production-based bonuses of 25 to 35% of collections above a base guarantee. Practice owners retain higher gross income but carry overhead of 55 to 65%. Benefits for associates include malpractice coverage, CE stipends, and health insurance. And on the tax side: north Carolina's flat 4.5% income tax keeps the burden low. Raleigh has no city income tax, and the Triangle's affordable housing amplifies your take home purchasing power. When someone quotes you $168,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Cite Research Triangle talent competition in your negotiation. Employers here compete directly with each other and with remote offers, creating favorable leverage for candidates. The range for Dentists in Raleigh runs from $122,000 to $213,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- An ML Product Manager in Raleigh earns $169,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Raleigh is CTO at $291,000
Common questions.
Dentist salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Raleigh.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Dentist Salary in Raleigh, NC." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/dentist/raleigh
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