Jobs · Hickory, NC

Dentist Jobs in Hickory, NC: Pay and Who's Hiring

In Hickory, the May 2025 median for dentists is about $193.3K, 13% over the U.S. median. The middle half runs from $153.8K to $261.0K.

Pay

The median is the middle of dentists already employed, not a starting wage. The 25th is the lower quarter of that group. The 75th is what the upper quarter already earns.

Percentile	Metro	NC	U.S.
25th	$153,840	$151,810	$125,710
Median	$193,320	$207,000	$170,950
75th	$260,960	$232,880	$224,040

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Hiring difficulty and demand

Hiring difficulty

4.2

Metro employment

130

National growth, 2025 to 2035

5.7%

National openings a year

4.2 thousand

This is the same score as the free check.

Who's hiring

Gaston Family Health Services, 80 campuses
High Country Community Health, 3 campuses
West Caldwell Health Council, 3 campuses
Davis Dental, 2 campuses
Small and Piers, 2 campuses
Abboud & Grimes Dental, 1 campuses

Campuses on file in the provider extract, not live job ads.

License and training

Every state licenses dentists through its dental board. The usual path is a DDS or DMD from an accredited school, the national board exam, and a clinical exam the state accepts. Confirm your state board's rules before you hire or start.

Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, dentists

The work

The schedule is the day. You move between exams, restorations, and the patient in pain who needs a slot that morning.

Between patients you read images, review treatment plans, and sign off on hygiene exams. Owners also carry payroll, equipment, and insurance contracts.

Nearby metros

Charlotte, NC · 46 miles
Winston-Salem, NC · 64 miles
Spartanburg, SC · 65 miles
Asheville, NC · 70 miles

Related roles

One manager hiring: Hire a Dentist in Hickory.

Dentists, General hiring pages

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Questions

Who hires dentists in Hickory?

Dental practices, group practices, and community health centers hire dentists in Hickory. Organizations on file in the provider extract include Gaston Family Health Services, High Country Community Health, West Caldwell Health Council.

How do I get licensed as a dentist in North Carolina?

Start with the North Carolina dental board. It sets the exams it accepts and the steps for a dentist moving from another state to Hickory.

What should a practice in Hickory weigh when hiring a dentist?

Ask which procedures the dentist does alone and how fast they build a schedule. Hickory has a deeper bench of these workers than a typical metro. This metro is 7% under the North Carolina median.