Dentist salary in California
Open dentist jobs in California post a median of $83.89 an hour, the middle half $80.19–$89.44 (about $174,500 a year full time), $5.55 below the national posted median. From 11 jobs at 7 employers that state their pay.
- 25th percentile$80.19/hr
- Median (50th)$83.89/hr
- 75th percentile$89.44/hr
- Distinct posted rates11
- Jobs stating an hourly rate11
- Employers7
The median is the middle of the 11 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $80.19–$89.44 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
- 25th percentile$80.19/hr
- Median (50th)$83.89/hr
- 75th percentile$89.44/hr
- Distinct posted rates11
- Jobs stating an hourly rate11
- Employers7
The median is the middle of the 11 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $80.19–$89.44 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
- Median posted per hour$83.89
- Hours in a full-time year2,080
- A year, full time$174,500
40 hours a week for 52 weeks, to the nearest $100. An estimate from the hourly rate: no job states it.
- 10th percentile$35.82/hr
- 25th percentile$59.84/hr
- Median$79.79/hr
- 75th percentile$102.53/hr
- 90th percentile$131.12/hr
- People employed in it16,770
Dentists, General (SOC 29-1021), all industries, California: the hourly wages BLS measured people employed in it earn, not read from open jobs. Measured and published by BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (source: BLS OEWS May 2025, Dentists, General, California).
The jobs themselves: Dentist jobs in California · Dentist pay nationwide
What dentists are paid in California
Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).
Median $83.89 an hour. Middle half $80.19 to $89.44. Point at a bar for its count. Tap a bar for its count.
Posted on open jobs in California
Middle half of 11 distinct posted rates (a job posted many times at one rate counted once), median $83.89. 10% of the 105 open dentist jobs in California state an hourly rate.
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Dentist pay by town in California
Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.
| Town | Median posted | Posted range | Jobs (employers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union City | $83.89 | $83.89 | 3 (1) |
Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.
Dentist pay by employer in California
What each employer posts for dentists here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.
Median of each employer's jobs in California (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for dentists nationwide when it has such a page.
Jobs that state a yearly salary
Measured on their own, never converted to hourly.
33 open jobs in California state a yearly salary: a median of $200,800, the middle half $183,500 to $300,000.
Best-paid open dentist jobs in California
The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.
- $134–$135/hr
$72.35–$120.58/hr
$85–$95/hr
$82.75–$95/hr
$83.89/hr- $83.89/hr
$72–$81/hr
$24–$28/hr- $23–$27/hr
What BLS measures in California
What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.
| BLS occupation | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dentists, General (29-1021) | $35.82 (source: BLS OEWS, Dentists, General) | $59.84 (source: BLS OEWS, Dentists, General) | $79.79 (source: BLS OEWS, Dentists, General) | $102.53 (source: BLS OEWS, Dentists, General) | $131.12 (source: BLS OEWS, Dentists, General) | 16,770 (source: BLS OEWS, Dentists, General) |
BLS median by metro area
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$67.30/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA)
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$97.14/hr (source: BLS OEWS, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA)
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$76.04/hr (source: BLS OEWS, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA)
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$60.21/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA)
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$99.96/hr (source: BLS OEWS, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA)
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$81.97/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA)
- Fresno, CA$90.63/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Fresno, CA)
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$85.65/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA)
Dentist salary in California: common questions
How much does a dentist make in California?
Open dentist jobs in California that state an hourly rate post a median of $83.89, the middle half $80.19–$89.44 (11 jobs from 7 employers). Full time that is about $174,500 a year. BLS measured a median of $79.79/hr ($165,950 a year) for people employed in the occupation in California (May 2025).
How does California compare with the rest of the country?
The posted median in California ($83.89) is $5.55 below the national posted median of $89.44. In the BLS survey California ranks 33 of 48 by median wage.
Where do these figures come from?
From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 11 of 105 open dentist jobs in California (10%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.
Sources and method
- CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own careers site, published 13 Nov 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Dentists, General (SOC 29-1021), every state, published 15 May 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Dentists, General, national, published 15 May 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Dentists, General by metropolitan area, published 15 May 2026
Cite this page
CareJobs.Now. (2026). Dentist salary in California. Data as of 13 Nov 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/dentist/california