California · May 2025 wage survey
Dental hygienist salary in California
Dental hygienists in California earn a median $60.06 an hour, or $124,930 a year, 27.4% above the national median of $47.16. California ranks 4 of 50 on median hourly pay. About 24,500 hygienists work in the state. Inside the state, the area median runs from $47.23 in Visalia, CA to $70.56 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
- Median hourly
- $60.06
- Median annual
- $124,930
- Rank among states
- 4 of 50
- Against U.S. median
- +27.4%U.S. is $47.16
Middle half (25th to 75th)10th to 90th percentileMedianComparison
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all industries.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49.08 | $102,090 |
| 25th percentile | $52.76 | $109,730 |
| Median | $60.06 | $124,930 |
| 75th percentile | $63.52 | $132,120 |
| 90th percentile | $73.04 | $151,920 |
| Mean (average) | $61.59 | $128,110 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all industries.
Against the national figures
| California | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median hourly | $60.06 | $47.16 |
| Median annual | $124,930 | $98,100 |
| 90th percentile hourly | $73.04 | $60.60 |
| Median, all occupations (annual) | $58,240 | $50,980 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all industries.
License rulesCalifornia dental hygienist licenseExams, fees, local anesthesia and nitrous rules, supervision and license by credential, each cited to the board.Pay by metro and rural area
28 areas with a published median. Sort by any column.
| # | Area | Median hourly | Median annual | Middle half earn (hourly)$25$80 | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $70.56 | $146,760 | $62.60 to $74.48 | 3,780 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $67.30 | $139,990 | $63.02 to $74.89 | 1,620 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $65.49 | $136,210 | $64.99 to $65.73 | 310 |
| 4 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $65.38 | $135,990 | $58.99 to $66.52 | 260 |
| 5 | Napa, CA | $63.16 | $131,370 | $61.33 to $65.02 | 100 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $62.79 | $130,600 | $58.74 to $70.00 | 220 |
| 7 | Vallejo, CA | $61.81 | $128,570 | $59.31 to $66.47 | 270 |
| 8 | North Coast Region of California (nonmetro) | $60.99 | $126,850 | $54.04 to $62.59 | 140 |
| 9 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $60.83 | $126,530 | $59.29 to $61.24 | 500 |
| 10 | North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California (nonmetro) | $60.77 | $126,400 | $53.86 to $62.29 | 170 |
| 11 | Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California (nonmetro) | $60.72 | $126,300 | $52.38 to $63.00 | 100 |
| 12 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $60.42 | $125,670 | $56.52 to $70.78 | 220 |
| 13 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $60.16 | $125,130 | $53.86 to $63.52 | 480 |
| 14 | Yuba City, CA | $59.99 | $124,780 | $56.94 to $62.00 | 60 |
| 15 | Modesto, CA | $59.57 | $123,910 | $51.75 to $61.61 | 390 |
| 16 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $59.52 | $123,790 | $58.35 to $60.97 | 1,940 |
| 17 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $59.12 | $122,980 | $51.72 to $62.78 | 7,940 |
| 18 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $58.92 | $122,540 | $58.77 to $60.90 | 2,200 |
| 19 | Salinas, CA | $58.83 | $122,370 | $51.96 to $61.27 | 240 |
| 20 | Chico, CA | $57.12 | $118,800 | $50.42 to $61.13 | 150 |
| 21 | Redding, CA | $56.79 | $118,130 | $50.95 to $59.47 | 130 |
| 22 | Merced, CA | $56.44 | $117,400 | $50.93 to $60.91 | 100 |
| 23 | El Centro, CA | $55.71 | $115,870 | $50.20 to $60.81 | 40 |
| 24 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $54.99 | $114,380 | $48.82 to $55.49 | 340 |
| 25 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $54.41 | $113,160 | $49.79 to $58.99 | 80 |
| 26 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $50.83 | $105,730 | $49.83 to $57.99 | 1,860 |
| 27 | Fresno, CA | $48.91 | $101,730 | $47.27 to $49.70 | 530 |
| 28 | Visalia, CA | $47.23 | $98,240 | $46.99 to $56.88 | 200 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all industries. Metro figures cover the whole metro area, including any part in a neighboring state.
How common the job is
California has 1.34 dental hygienist jobs per 1,000 jobs, a location quotient of 0.94 (1.00 is the national share; below 1 means hygienists make up a smaller share of jobs here than nationally).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all industries.
For dental offices
Short a hygienist in California?
Send the opening once: a sick day, a leave, a few days a week, or a permanent hire. We pass it to a dental staffing service or recruiter that covers your area, and they call you to work out the details and the rate. Asking costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
- Median hygienist pay, California
- $60.06/hr
- 75th percentile
- $63.52/hr
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all industries.
Hygienist Pay is a referral service run by Voll Group LLC. We do not employ or place hygienists ourselves.
For hygienists
Working in California?
Tell us what you want, temp days or a permanent seat, and we pass your details to offices and staffing services hiring near you. Free for hygienists.