General Dentist salary in San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo–Paso Robles, CA
The verified BLS median general dentist in the San Luis Obispo metro earns $170,630 ($82.04/hr). San Luis Obispo is about the national median ($170,950).
General Dentist pay in San Luis Obispo: the analysis
At a verified median of $170,630, general dentists in San Luis Obispo earn about the U.S. median. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, San Luis Obispo ranks 175th.
Compared with California as a whole (median $165,950), San Luis Obispo pays general dentists about 3% more — slightly 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 $95,990, while the top tenth earn $323,130 or more — a spread of about $227,140. 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 100 general dentists employed in San Luis Obispo — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within San Luis Obispo, a general dentist earns about 1.4× what a dental hygienist earns and about 3.0× what a dental assistant earns ($125,670, $57,150 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — San Luis Obispo (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $95,990 |
| 25th percentilei | $130,690 |
| Median (50th)i | $170,630 |
| 75th percentilei | $227,700 |
| 90th percentilei | $323,130 |
| Mean (average)i | $190,280 |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in San Luis Obispo?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the San Luis Obispo metro earns about $170,630 ($82.04/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does San Luis Obispo general dentist pay compare to California overall?
The verified BLS OEWS San Luis Obispo metro median is about $170,630, versus the verified BLS OEWS California statewide median of about $165,950.
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