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Salary · Dentist · California

Dentist salary in California: $165,950 median.

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

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025
Annual wage range · California · BLS May 2025
$165,950median in California

Hourly pay in California, BLS May 2025: 10th percentile $35.82 · 25th $59.84 · median $79.79 · 75th $102.53 · 90th $131.12.

Quick answer

Dentists in California earned a median of $165,950 a year in May 2025 (BLS), 3% below the national median of $170,950. California ranked 33 of 47 for this occupation's median pay, with about 16,770 people employed.

California median
$165,950
$79.79/hr
U.S. median
$170,950
-3% in California
Rank among states
33 of 47
by median pay
Employed
16,770
location quotient 1.15
Key facts

More on dentist pay in California

  • The median hourly wage for workers in the BLS occupation “Dentists, General” in California was $79.79 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • The middle half of workers in the BLS occupation “Dentists, General” in California earned between $124,470 and $213,260 a year in May 2025 (25th to 75th percentile, BLS).

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • The lowest-paid 10% of workers in the BLS occupation “Dentists, General” in California earned less than $74,510 a year in May 2025, and the top 10% more than $272,730 (BLS).

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • The mean annual wage for workers in the BLS occupation “Dentists, General” in California was $170,690 in May 2025, according to BLS; the mean is a different measure from the median.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Metro areas

Where in California it pays most

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

  1. Hanford-Corcoran, CA$222,430
  2. El Centro, CA$217,830
  3. Visalia, CA$214,950
  4. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$207,910
  5. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$202,060
  6. Fresno, CA$188,510
  7. Salinas, CA$185,040
  8. Vallejo, CA$183,000
Nearby in the ranking

States with similar pay

Data Ranked by state median, BLS May 2025.

  1. Colorado$166,240
  2. Oklahoma$166,170
  3. California$165,950
  4. Pennsylvania$163,390
  5. Texas$162,360

See all states on the national Dentist salary page.

StateDentist salary in ColoradoStateDentist salary in OklahomaStateDentist salary in PennsylvaniaStateDentist salary in Texas
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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).

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