Dental Salary Data · BLS OEWS May 2025
Dentist Salary in California
The median dentist earns $165,950 a year in California, with most between $124,470 and $213,260.
25th percentile
$124,470
Entry / lower range
Median
$165,950
The typical pay
75th percentile
$213,260
Experienced / upper range
That's roughly $165,950 per year or $79.79/hr at the median. California runs about 3% below the national median.
What drives dentist pay in California
Pay for a dentistdepends 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.
For dental pros
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Dentist salary in California: FAQ
What is the average dentist salary in California?
The median dentist salary in California is about $165,950 per year ($79.79/hr), based on BLS OEWS data (May 2025). Most earn between $124,470 and $213,260.
How does California compare to the national average?
At a $165,950 median, dentist pay in California runs about 3% below the national median. Local cost of living and demand drive most of the difference.
Which California cities pay dentists the most?
Among California metros, Hanford-Corcoran is at the top, with a median around $222,430.
Hiring in California?
Fill dentist roles across every location.
Other roles in California