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 often times find better pay, sometimes much better pay. In fact, a review of May 2019 BLS data shows that none of the 20 largest U.S. metropolitan areas were among the 20 best metro areas for general dentist pay:
| Metropolitan Area | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burlington, NC | 40 | $278,360 | ||
| 2 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | 250 | $275,430 | ||
| 3 | Longview, TX | 60 | $272,440 | ||
| 4 | Olympia-Tumwater, WA | N/A | $267,240 | ||
| 5 | Reno, NV | 230 | $256,510 | ||
| 6 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 400 | $254,220 | ||
| 7 | Amarillo, TX | N/A | $253,090 | ||
| 8 | Iowa City, IA | 30 | $251,670 | ||
| 9 | Fond du Lac, WI | N/A | $247,370 | ||
| 10 | Madison, WI | 200 | $242,820 | ||
| 11 | Odessa, TX | 40 | $241,800 | ||
| 12 | Green Bay, WI | 90 | $239,540 | ||
| 13 | Worcester, MA-CT | 230 | $238,800 | ||
| 14 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | 380 | $238,540 | ||
| 15 | Dalton, GA | 70 | $238,490 | ||
| 16 | Greenville, NC | 50 | $237,390 | ||
| 17 | Pittsfield, MA | N/A | $237,110 | ||
| 18 | Lancaster, PA | N/A | $236,660 | ||
| 19 | New Haven, CT | N/A | $236,340 | ||
| 20 | Rockford, IL | 150 | $235,480 | ||
| National | 110,730 | $178,260 | |||
(#) a top 20 U.S metro population area
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on November 13, 2020