Can a Orthodontist afford to live in St. Louis?

Excellent81% of take-home left to save — you can save aggressively here.
Median salary (gross)
Orthodontist · St. Louis
$259,147
Income tax (~38% effective)
United States
– $98,337
Take-home pay
$13,401/mo
$160,810
Living costs (1 person)
$2,490/mo · derived
– $29,880
Savings potential
$10,911/mo · 81% of take-home
$130,930

Single professional, after-tax. Salary − tax − living costs = what you could save each year.

Full salary breakdown →Is this a good salary in St. Louis? →Compare St. Louis with another city →

How we calculated this

• Salary: BLS OES median for Orthodontist, adjusted for St. Louis.

• Tax: United States single-filer effective rate (~38%). Official calculator.

• Living costs: derived from cost-of-living index for a single professional.

Planning estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026. Your situation will differ.