Dentists, General Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $125K, rent takes 29.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,201/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new dentists, generals typically earn — is $98K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,902/month. At HUD’s $2,201/month FMR, rent would take 37% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Local pay runs 27% below the national median — $125K here vs. $171K nationally.

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario pays $125K median vs. the U.S. average of $171K — that’s -27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $118K — below the national median.

The median is $125,230 a year, that works out to about $60 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $98,370, and experienced dentists, generals can clear $217,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,380/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,201/month, which eats 29.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario has a Regional Price Parity of 106.44 (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 $117,653 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.