General Dentist salary in San Diego
San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad, CA
The verified BLS median general dentist in the San Diego metro earns $158,160 ($76.04/hr). San Diego pays roughly 7% below the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in San Diego: the analysis
At a verified median of $158,160, general dentists in San Diego earn modestly below the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 7%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, San Diego ranks 260th.
Compared with California as a whole (median $165,950), San Diego pays general dentists about 5% less than the statewide median. 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 $90,600, while the top tenth earn $259,320 or more — a spread of about $168,720. 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 1,710 general dentists employed in San Diego — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within San Diego, a general dentist earns about 1.3× what a dental hygienist earns and about 2.7× what a dental assistant earns ($123,790, $58,120 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — San Diego (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $90,600 |
| 25th percentilei | $124,520 |
| Median (50th)i | $158,160 |
| 75th percentilei | $222,040 |
| 90th percentilei | $259,320 |
| Mean (average)i | $168,540 |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in San Diego?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the San Diego metro earns about $158,160 ($76.04/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does San Diego general dentist pay compare to California overall?
The verified BLS OEWS San Diego metro median is about $158,160, versus the verified BLS OEWS California statewide median of about $165,950.
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