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Salary · Dental Hygienist · California

Dental Hygienist salary in California: $124,930 median.

How pay for dental hygienists in California compares with the national figure and other states, and where in the state it is highest.

Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025
Annual wage range · California · BLS May 2025
$124,930median in California

Quick answer

Dental Hygienists in California earned a median of $124,930 a year in May 2025 (BLS), 27% above the national median of $98,100. California ranked 4 of 50 for this occupation's median pay, with about 24,500 people employed.

California median
$124,930
$60.06/hr
U.S. median
$98,100
+27% in California
Rank among states
4 of 50
by median pay
Employed
24,500
location quotient 0.94
Metro areas

Where in California it pays most

Data Metropolitan areas in the state with at least 30 people employed in the occupation.

  1. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$146,760
  2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$139,990
  3. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$136,210
  4. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$135,990
  5. Napa, CA$131,370
  6. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$130,600
  7. Vallejo, CA$128,570
  8. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$126,530
Nearby in the ranking

States with similar pay

Data Ranked by state median, BLS May 2025.

  1. Alaska$132,690
  2. Washington$131,160
  3. California$124,930
  4. Oregon$122,080
  5. Nevada$115,290

See all states on the national Dental Hygienist salary page.

Keep exploring

More for Dental Hygienists

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Method

How this page is built

BLS OEWS state and metropolitan-area estimates for May 2025, for the occupation shown. Ranks compare state medians only.

What this page can't tell you
  • Cost of living, which changes what a salary is worth.
  • Pay at a specific employer or for self-employed workers.
Sources
  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).