Healthcare · 68 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Dentist (2025)

The median Dentist salary is $238,040 in Memphis, TN, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Memphis, TN offers the best purchasing power at $283,381 adjusted.

The 68 cities below are ranked by median wage for Dentist, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Dentist relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$175,578

National Median

$238,040

Highest City

$98,570

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	Memphis, TN	$238,040	$72,420, $276,050	84	$283,381	280
2	Anchorage, AK	$228,030	$124,190, $320,440	127	$179,551	180
3	Atlanta, GA	$222,690	$93,590, $373,420	99.2	$224,486	1,710
4	Minneapolis, MN	$219,980	$130,800, $227,640	106.2	$207,137	1,760
5	Richmond, VA	$218,880	$128,340, $308,250	102.1	$214,378	650
6	Nashville, TN	$215,290	$128,100, $340,780	100.3	$214,646	1,170
7	Orlando, FL	$212,300	$98,110, $299,710	103.1	$205,917	1,320
8	St. Louis, MO	$210,430	$96,300, $559,260	90	$233,811	1,250
9	Portland, OR	$209,440	$140,300, $373,870	130.1	$160,984	990
10	Des Moines, IA	$209,300	$137,870, $259,990	93.3	$224,330	360
11	San Jose, CA	$207,910	$124,470, $294,290	195.8	$106,185	1,130
12	Raleigh, NC	$207,380	$132,880, $378,960	99.8	$207,796	1,000
13	Cincinnati, OH	$206,100	$66,680, $378,600	91.2	$225,987	380
14	Spokane, WA	$205,790	$122,550, $381,570	97.4	$211,283	280
15	San Francisco, CA	$202,060	$119,750, $322,930	179.6	$112,506	2,090
16	New Orleans, LA	$198,050	$101,880, $323,930	95.9	$206,517	270
17	Oklahoma City, OK	$196,740	$101,530, $328,450	86.5	$227,445	290
18	Phoenix, AZ	$194,180	$62,230, $336,950	100.7	$192,830	2,700
19	Albany, NY	$193,780	$127,060, $422,040	100.7	$192,433	320
20	New York, NY	$190,010	$75,680, $367,140	187.2	$101,501	7,240
21	Charlotte, NC	$189,220	$103,490, $312,000	96.7	$195,677	1,140
22	Fresno, CA	$188,510	$107,990, $285,670	105.5	$178,682	340
23	Austin, TX	$188,190	$129,650, $337,660	103	$182,709	820
24	Omaha, NE	$187,400	$58,580, $263,450	91.8	$204,139	440
25	Washington, DC	$184,540	$105,610, $324,370	152.8	$120,772	3,040
26	Tucson, AZ	$182,200	$86,950, $267,980	95.4	$190,985	330
27	Boston, MA	$181,150	$95,550, $370,580	152.1	$119,099	1,920
28	Bridgeport, CT	$180,440	$123,660, $356,220	137.5	$131,229	740
29	Dallas, TX	$179,990	$134,260, $304,130	104.1	$172,901	2,890
30	Buffalo, NY	$178,260	$62,410, $386,180	92.5	$192,714	270
31	Madison, WI	$176,460	$126,510, $305,240	103.8	$170,000	270
32	Providence, RI	$172,310	$95,460, $326,350	119.4	$144,313	580
33	Little Rock, AR	$172,250	$100,460, $280,340	88.2	$195,295	240
34	Miami, FL	$172,210	$91,600, $314,860	123.1	$139,894	3,270
35	Bakersfield, CA	$172,120	$99,850, $346,300	100.6	$171,093	220
36	Baltimore, MD	$172,110	$62,090, $254,820	114.2	$150,709	880
37	Kansas City, MO	$171,690	$95,610, $340,330	95.4	$179,969	1,070
38	Sacramento, CA	$170,500	$121,630, $266,300	124.7	$136,728	970
39	Denver, CO	$168,620	$84,590, $222,590	112.8	$149,486	1,980
40	Detroit, MI	$167,860	$121,920, $283,380	95.1	$176,509	1,700
41	Rochester, NY	$167,480	$66,840, $230,380	92.9	$180,280	430
42	Columbus, OH	$166,180	$64,100, $306,960	93.1	$178,496	780
43	Indianapolis, IN	$166,120	$77,540, $322,760	90.1	$184,373	1,020
44	Jacksonville, FL	$165,350	$136,700, $299,990	95.1	$173,870	640
45	Tulsa, OK	$165,280	$66,100, $428,290	86.8	$190,415	390
46	Reno, NV	$165,030	$119,400, $269,370	106.5	$154,958	230
47	Greensboro, NC	$163,910	$105,970, $321,730	91.3	$179,529	190
48	Philadelphia, PA	$163,390	$65,520, $331,950	118.4	$137,998	2,570
49	Las Vegas, NV	$162,200	$99,600, $262,280	109	$148,807	780
50	San Antonio, TX	$162,140	$58,940, $341,560	91.5	$177,202	690
51	Seattle, WA	$161,270	$67,870, $335,210	149.4	$107,945	1,920
52	Tampa, FL	$159,270	$127,630, $432,060	99.6	$159,910	1,290
53	Colorado Springs, CO	$158,830	$75,390, $295,550	104.5	$151,990	280
54	San Diego, CA	$158,160	$90,600, $259,320	160.2	$98,727	1,710
55	Knoxville, TN	$157,900	$84,360, $259,320	90.3	$174,862	220
56	Chicago, IL	$156,100	$123,920, $290,850	107.3	$145,480	5,910
57	Milwaukee, WI	$155,940	$117,460, $283,800	97.4	$160,103	830
58	Pittsburgh, PA	$155,250	$69,990, $309,220	92.3	$168,202	1,050
59	Louisville, KY	$151,420	$75,240, $304,930	90.2	$167,871	230
60	Albuquerque, NM	$141,580	$107,650, $305,790	94	$150,617	460
61	Los Angeles, CA	$139,990	$74,510, $219,380	166	$84,331	6,300
62	Greenville, SC	$139,940	$51,850, $318,010	90.1	$155,316	540
63	Salt Lake City, UT	$130,510	$84,020, $210,360	101.4	$128,708	510
64	Hartford, CT	$125,330	$88,800, $390,140	112.6	$111,306	580
65	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$125,230	$98,370, $217,880	122.4	$102,312	1,560
66	Boise, ID	$119,550	$91,070, $199,290	102.1	$117,091	270
67	Lexington, KY	$114,990	$56,060, $164,380	91.3	$125,947	160
68	Houston, TX	$98,570	$76,790, $306,110	96.5	$102,145	1,660

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Dentist paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Memphis, TN	$283,381	$238,040	84
2	St. Louis, MO	$233,811	$210,430	90
3	Oklahoma City, OK	$227,445	$196,740	86.5
4	Cincinnati, OH	$225,987	$206,100	91.2
5	Atlanta, GA	$224,486	$222,690	99.2
6	Des Moines, IA	$224,330	$209,300	93.3
7	Nashville, TN	$214,646	$215,290	100.3
8	Richmond, VA	$214,378	$218,880	102.1
9	Spokane, WA	$211,283	$205,790	97.4
10	Raleigh, NC	$207,796	$207,380	99.8
11	Minneapolis, MN	$207,137	$219,980	106.2
12	New Orleans, LA	$206,517	$198,050	95.9
13	Orlando, FL	$205,917	$212,300	103.1
14	Omaha, NE	$204,139	$187,400	91.8
15	Charlotte, NC	$195,677	$189,220	96.7
16	Little Rock, AR	$195,295	$172,250	88.2
17	Phoenix, AZ	$192,830	$194,180	100.7
18	Buffalo, NY	$192,714	$178,260	92.5
19	Albany, NY	$192,433	$193,780	100.7
20	Tucson, AZ	$190,985	$182,200	95.4
21	Tulsa, OK	$190,415	$165,280	86.8
22	Indianapolis, IN	$184,373	$166,120	90.1
23	Austin, TX	$182,709	$188,190	103
24	Rochester, NY	$180,280	$167,480	92.9
25	Kansas City, MO	$179,969	$171,690	95.4
26	Anchorage, AK	$179,551	$228,030	127
27	Greensboro, NC	$179,529	$163,910	91.3
28	Fresno, CA	$178,682	$188,510	105.5
29	Columbus, OH	$178,496	$166,180	93.1
30	San Antonio, TX	$177,202	$162,140	91.5
31	Detroit, MI	$176,509	$167,860	95.1
32	Knoxville, TN	$174,862	$157,900	90.3
33	Jacksonville, FL	$173,870	$165,350	95.1
34	Dallas, TX	$172,901	$179,990	104.1
35	Bakersfield, CA	$171,093	$172,120	100.6
36	Madison, WI	$170,000	$176,460	103.8
37	Pittsburgh, PA	$168,202	$155,250	92.3
38	Louisville, KY	$167,871	$151,420	90.2
39	Portland, OR	$160,984	$209,440	130.1
40	Milwaukee, WI	$160,103	$155,940	97.4
41	Tampa, FL	$159,910	$159,270	99.6
42	Greenville, SC	$155,316	$139,940	90.1
43	Reno, NV	$154,958	$165,030	106.5
44	Colorado Springs, CO	$151,990	$158,830	104.5
45	Baltimore, MD	$150,709	$172,110	114.2
46	Albuquerque, NM	$150,617	$141,580	94
47	Denver, CO	$149,486	$168,620	112.8
48	Las Vegas, NV	$148,807	$162,200	109
49	Chicago, IL	$145,480	$156,100	107.3
50	Providence, RI	$144,313	$172,310	119.4
51	Miami, FL	$139,894	$172,210	123.1
52	Philadelphia, PA	$137,998	$163,390	118.4
53	Sacramento, CA	$136,728	$170,500	124.7
54	Bridgeport, CT	$131,229	$180,440	137.5
55	Salt Lake City, UT	$128,708	$130,510	101.4
56	Lexington, KY	$125,947	$114,990	91.3
57	Washington, DC	$120,772	$184,540	152.8
58	Boston, MA	$119,099	$181,150	152.1
59	Boise, ID	$117,091	$119,550	102.1
60	San Francisco, CA	$112,506	$202,060	179.6
61	Hartford, CT	$111,306	$125,330	112.6
62	Seattle, WA	$107,945	$161,270	149.4
63	San Jose, CA	$106,185	$207,910	195.8
64	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$102,312	$125,230	122.4
65	Houston, TX	$102,145	$98,570	96.5
66	New York, NY	$101,501	$190,010	187.2
67	San Diego, CA	$98,727	$158,160	160.2
68	Los Angeles, CA	$84,331	$139,990	166

Frequently Asked Questions

Memphis, TN pays the highest median Dentist salary at $238,040. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Memphis, TN offers the most purchasing power at $283,381 adjusted.

The national median Dentist salary is $175,578 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $98,570 to $238,040 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.