Dental Hygienist salary in San Diego
San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad, CA
The verified BLS median dental hygienist in the San Diego metro earns $123,790 ($59.52/hr). San Diego pays roughly 26% above the national median of $98,100.
Dental Hygienist pay in San Diego: the analysis
At a verified median of $123,790, dental hygienists in San Diego earn substantially above the U.S. median of $98,100 — a gap of about 26%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental hygienist pay, San Diego ranks 20th.
Compared with California as a whole (median $124,930), San Diego tracks the statewide median closely. Local demand, cost of labor, and the mix of practices drive most of that difference.
The pay range is wide: the lowest-paid tenth of dental hygienists in this metro area earn around $108,320, while the top tenth earn $130,530 or more — a spread of about $22,210. That gap reflects experience, practice setting, and local demand more than any single factor, so an individual offer can sit well above or below the midpoint.
The BLS counts roughly 1,940 dental hygienists employed in San Diego — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within San Diego, a dental hygienist earns about 1.3× less than a general dentist and about 2.1× what a dental assistant earns ($158,160, $58,120 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Hygienist pay distribution — San Diego (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $108,320 | $52.08/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $121,380 | $58.36/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $123,790 | $59.51/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $126,820 | $60.97/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $130,530 | $62.75/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $121,860 | $58.59/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental hygienist make in San Diego?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental hygienist in the San Diego metro earns about $123,790 ($59.52/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does San Diego dental hygienist pay compare to California overall?
The verified BLS OEWS San Diego metro median is about $123,790, versus the verified BLS OEWS California statewide median of about $124,930.
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