General Dentist salary in El Centro
El Centro, CA
The verified BLS median general dentist in the El Centro metro earns $217,830 ($104.73/hr). El Centro pays roughly 27% above the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in El Centro: the analysis
At a verified median of $217,830, general dentists in El Centro earn substantially above the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 27%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, El Centro ranks 13th.
Compared with California as a whole (median $165,950), El Centro pays general dentists about 31% more — substantially above the statewide figure. 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 general dentists in this metro area earn around $100,830, while the top tenth earn $346,300 or more — a spread of about $245,470. 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 40 general dentists employed in El Centro — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within El Centro, a general dentist earns about 1.9× what a dental hygienist earns and about 3.9× what a dental assistant earns ($115,870, $56,050 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — El Centro (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $100,830 |
| 25th percentilei | $158,240 |
| Median (50th)i | $217,830 |
| 75th percentilei | $269,110 |
| 90th percentilei | $346,300 |
| Mean (average)i | $221,110 |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in El Centro?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the El Centro metro earns about $217,830 ($104.73/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does El Centro general dentist pay compare to California overall?
The verified BLS OEWS El Centro metro median is about $217,830, versus the verified BLS OEWS California statewide median of about $165,950.
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