Dental Salary Data · BLS OEWS May 2025
Dental Assistant Salary in California
The median dental assistant earns $50,110 a year in California, with most between $46,270 and $60,670.
25th percentile
$46,270
Entry / lower range
Median
$50,110
The typical pay
75th percentile
$60,670
Experienced / upper range
That's roughly $50,110 per year or $24.09/hr at the median. California runs about 4% above the national median.
What drives dental assistant pay in California
Pay for a dental assistantdepends on experience, setting, and metro. Group practices and dental support organizations (DSOs) often sit toward the upper end of the range, since they compete for talent across multiple locations and can offer benefits and advancement a single practice can't.
Across dentistry, hiring is hard and getting harder: staffing is consistently ranked among dentists' top challenges, and open roles routinely take well over two months to fill. For candidates, that means leverage; for employers, it means speed and fit matter more than ever.
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Dental Assistant salary in California: FAQ
What is the average dental assistant salary in California?
The median dental assistant salary in California is about $50,110 per year ($24.09/hr), based on BLS OEWS data (May 2025). Most earn between $46,270 and $60,670.
How does California compare to the national average?
At a $50,110 median, dental assistant pay in California runs about 4% above the national median. Local cost of living and demand drive most of the difference.
Which California cities pay dental assistants the most?
Among California metros, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara is at the top, with a median around $74,600.
Hiring in California?
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Other roles in California
Dental Assistant salary by state