Dental Assistants salary · California
Dental Assistants Salary in California
Dental Assistants in California earn a median of $50,110 a year, which is $24.09 an hour. That is $2,040 above the national median of $48,070, a difference of 4 percent. The state employs 56,220.
California against the US May 2025
| Figure | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $50,110 | $48,070 |
| Median hourly | $24.09 | $23.11 |
| Mean annual | $54,710 | $50,200 |
| 10th percentile | $38,790 | $37,130 |
| 90th percentile | $73,700 | $62,250 |
| Employment | 56,220 | 387,790 |
How California compares
By median pay, California ranks 3 of the 12 states this site reports for dental assistants. Ranking is on the published median only. It says nothing about how far that salary goes once housing, state income tax and commuting are paid, and those differences between states are frequently larger than the pay gap itself.
Other states for dental assistants May 2025
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $58,090 | $27.93 | 13,050 |
| North Carolina | $50,380 | $24.22 | 11,450 |
| Michigan | $48,820 | $23.47 | 11,990 |
| Illinois | $48,610 | $23.37 | 13,740 |
| New York | $48,110 | $23.13 | 19,800 |
| Ohio | $47,970 | $23.06 | 12,150 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,930 | $23.05 | 12,080 |
| Florida | $47,620 | $22.89 | 26,620 |
| Georgia | $46,840 | $22.52 | 10,540 |
| Virginia | $46,670 | $22.44 | 10,760 |
| Texas | $45,430 | $21.84 | 33,230 |
Common questions
How much do dental assistants make in California?
The median salary for dental assistants in California is $50,110 a year, or $24.09 an hour. That is $2,040 above the national median of $48,070, a difference of 4 percent. California employs 56,220 of them.
Is California a good state to work as a dental assistant?
On pay alone, California ranks 3 of the 12 states this site reports for the occupation, by median salary. Pay is only half the question though: a state with a higher median can still leave you with less once housing and taxes are counted, and this site does not adjust for cost of living.
What is the pay range for dental assistants in California?
The lowest-paid 10 percent earn $38,790 or less and the highest-paid 10 percent earn $73,700 or more. The middle half falls between $46,270 and $60,670.
Where these numbers come from
Published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release, for SOC code 31-9091 in California. Nothing on this page is interpolated or averaged by this site. See the national dental assistants salary page for the full picture, or how to read these figures for what the survey covers.