General Dentist salary in San Francisco
San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA
The verified BLS median general dentist in the San Francisco metro earns $202,060 ($97.14/hr). San Francisco pays roughly 18% above the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in San Francisco: the analysis
At a verified median of $202,060, general dentists in San Francisco earn notably above the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 18%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, San Francisco ranks 70th.
Compared with California as a whole (median $165,950), San Francisco pays general dentists about 22% more — notably 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 $119,750, while the top tenth earn $322,930 or more — a spread of about $203,180. 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 2,090 general dentists employed in San Francisco — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within San Francisco, a general dentist earns about 1.4× what a dental hygienist earns and about 3.1× what a dental assistant earns ($146,760, $64,390 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — San Francisco (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $119,750 |
| 25th percentilei | $150,860 |
| Median (50th)i | $202,060 |
| 75th percentilei | $245,100 |
| 90th percentilei | $322,930 |
| Mean (average)i | $211,930 |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in San Francisco?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the San Francisco metro earns about $202,060 ($97.14/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does San Francisco general dentist pay compare to California overall?
The verified BLS OEWS San Francisco metro median is about $202,060, versus the verified BLS OEWS California statewide median of about $165,950.
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