Dentists salary in Charleston, SC
Median pay for dentists in Charleston, SC: $155,230/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $91,550 – $239,200 · about 430 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($165,500) by −$10,270 (-6%).
What it's really worth in Charleston
With Charleston's cost of living at 101 (US=100), that $155,230 has the buying power of about $153,544 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $77,460 · median home $435,877 · median rent $2,024/mo.
How Charleston ranks for this job
On raw pay, Charleston, SC is 126th of the 171 metros we hold dentists wages for. Once Charleston's cost of living is applied, it ranks 132nd.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Charleston sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Charleston
A median home in Charleston, SC costs $435,877 — about 2.8× 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 $2,024/mo works out at 16% 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 Charleston.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Charleston | Rent vs Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | $239,200 | +54% | 0.9× |
| Salem, OR | $226,010 | +46% | 0.8× |
| Anchorage, AK | $225,170 | +45% | 0.9× |
| Phoenix, AZ | $219,600 | +41% | 0.9× |
Same job elsewhere in SC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Charleston | Rent vs Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, SC | $163,700 | +5% | 0.8× |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | $154,720 | +0% | 0.9× |
| Columbia, SC | $131,600 | −15% | 0.8× |
| Spartanburg, SC | $131,540 | −15% | 0.7× |
Staying in SC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires dentists around Charleston
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) · Healthcare
- Roper St. Francis Healthcare · Healthcare
Other jobs in Charleston
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 171 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.