Dentists, General salary · California
Dentists, General Salary in California
Dentists, General in California earn a median of $165,950 a year, which is $79.79 an hour. That is $5,000 below the national median of $170,950, a difference of 3 percent. The state employs 16,770.
California against the US May 2025
| Figure | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $165,950 | $170,950 |
| Median hourly | $79.79 | $82.19 |
| Mean annual | $170,690 | $191,350 |
| 10th percentile | $74,510 | $86,250 |
| 90th percentile | $272,730 | $319,630 |
| Employment | 16,770 | 124,390 |
How California compares
By median pay, California ranks 9 of the 12 states this site reports for dentists, general. 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 dentists, general May 2025
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $207,000 | $99.52 | 4,140 |
| Virginia | $197,110 | $94.76 | 4,140 |
| Arizona | $194,180 | $93.36 | 3,470 |
| New York | $183,060 | $88.01 | 7,340 |
| Florida | $174,900 | $84.09 | 9,320 |
| New Jersey | $171,330 | $82.37 | 2,980 |
| Michigan | $169,930 | $81.70 | 3,620 |
| Washington | $169,730 | $81.60 | 3,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $163,390 | $78.56 | 4,460 |
| Texas | $162,360 | $78.06 | 8,920 |
| Illinois | $156,110 | $75.06 | 6,940 |
Common questions
How much do dentists, general make in California?
The median salary for dentists, general in California is $165,950 a year, or $79.79 an hour. That is $5,000 below the national median of $170,950, a difference of 3 percent. California employs 16,770 of them.
Is California a good state to work as a dentist?
On pay alone, California ranks 9 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 dentists, general in California?
The lowest-paid 10 percent earn $74,510 or less and the highest-paid 10 percent earn $272,730 or more. The middle half falls between $124,470 and $213,260.
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 29-1021 in California. Nothing on this page is interpolated or averaged by this site. See the national dentists, general salary page for the full picture, or how to read these figures for what the survey covers.