As evidenced in General Dentist Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Markets, the biggest U.S. metropolitan markets are top centers for general dentist employment. However, a deeper dive into U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reveals that smaller metro areas are where general dentists oftentimes find better pay, sometimes much better pay. In fact, a review of May 2022 BLS data shows that none of the 20 largest U.S. metropolitan areas were among the 20 best metro areas for general dentist pay:
20 Best Metro Areas for General Dentist Pay
| Metropolitan Area | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 280 | $290,860 | ||
| 2 | Manchester, NH | 80 | $290,300 | ||
| 3 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 340 | $257,680 | ||
| 4 | Burlington, NC | 60 | $251,590 | ||
| 5 | Olympia-Tumwater, WA | 100 | $240,290 | ||
| 6 | Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI | 100 | $233,860 | ||
| 7 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 90 | $231,960 | ||
| 8 | Akron, OH | 150 | $230,220 | ||
| 9 | Salinas, CA | 120 | $227,520 | ||
| 10 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 50 | $226,000 | ||
| 11 | Lewiston-Auburn, ME | 30 | $225,730 | ||
| 12 | El Centro, CA | 40 | $224,260 | ||
| 13 | Raleigh, NC | 710 | $223,880 | ||
| 14 | Medford, OR | 120 | $222,560 | ||
| 15 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 180 | $220,880 | ||
| 16 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 90 | $218,650 | ||
| 17 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 90 | $218,460 | ||
| 18 | Dover-Durham, NH-ME | 50 | $216,120 | ||
| 19 | Muskegon, MI | 40 | $215,560 | ||
| 20 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | 160 | $214,700 | ||
| National | 120,740 | $172,290 | |||
(#) a top 20 U.S metro population area
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 7, 2023
