General Dentist salary in Modesto
Modesto, CA
The verified BLS median general dentist in the Modesto metro earns $167,050 ($80.31/hr). Modesto pays roughly 2% below the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in Modesto: the analysis
At a verified median of $167,050, general dentists in Modesto earn slightly below the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 2%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, Modesto ranks 207th.
Compared with California as a whole (median $165,950), Modesto 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 general dentists in this metro area earn around $95,950, while the top tenth earn $280,730 or more — a spread of about $184,780. 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 160 general dentists employed in Modesto — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Modesto, a general dentist earns about 1.3× what a dental hygienist earns and about 3.3× what a dental assistant earns ($123,910, $50,170 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — Modesto (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $95,950 |
| 25th percentilei | $128,390 |
| Median (50th)i | $167,050 |
| 75th percentilei | $223,280 |
| 90th percentilei | $280,730 |
| Mean (average)i | $181,690 |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in Modesto?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the Modesto metro earns about $167,050 ($80.31/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Modesto general dentist pay compare to California overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Modesto metro median is about $167,050, versus the verified BLS OEWS California statewide median of about $165,950.
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