Dentists salary in Winston-Salem, NC
Median pay for dentists in Winston-Salem, NC: $156,990/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $107,640 – $239,200 · about 180 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($165,500) by −$8,510 (-5%).
What it's really worth in Winston-Salem
With Winston-Salem's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $156,990 has the buying power of about $171,383 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $60,145 · median home $283,871 · median rent $1,546/mo.
How Winston-Salem ranks for this job
On raw pay, Winston-Salem, NC is 120th of the 171 metros we hold dentists wages for. Once Winston-Salem's cost of living is applied, it ranks 89th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Winston-Salem is one of the places where dentists gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Winston-Salem
A median home in Winston-Salem, NC costs $283,871 — about 1.8× 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 $1,546/mo works out at 12% 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 Winston-Salem.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Winston-Salem | Rent vs Winston-Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | $239,200 | +52% | 1.1× |
| Salem, OR | $226,010 | +44% | 1.1× |
| Anchorage, AK | $225,170 | +43% | 1.1× |
| Phoenix, AZ | $219,600 | +40% | 1.1× |
Same job elsewhere in NC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Winston-Salem | Rent vs Winston-Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | $239,200 | +52% | 1.1× |
| Durham, NC | $209,240 | +33% | 1.1× |
| Hickory, NC | $188,350 | +20% | 1× |
| Asheville, NC | $178,160 | +13% | 1.1× |
Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires dentists around Winston-Salem
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist · Healthcare
- Novant Health · Healthcare
Other jobs in Winston-Salem
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.