Dentists, General Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $202K, rent takes 17.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,004/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new dentists, generals typically earn — is $109K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,538/month. At HUD’s $2,004/month FMR, rent would take 31% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Local pay is 18% above the national median — $202K here vs. $171K nationally.

Amherst Town-Northampton pays $202K median vs. the U.S. average of $171K — that’s +18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.24), the purchasing-power equivalent is $202K — still ahead of the national median.

The median is $202,240 a year, that works out to about $97 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $108,970, and experienced dentists, generals can clear $347,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $11,706/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,004/month, which eats 17.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

Amherst Town-Northampton has a Regional Price Parity of 100.24 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median dentists, general salary is worth about $201,756 in national-average purchasing power.

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.