Dental Hygienists salary · California
Dental Hygienists Salary in California
Dental Hygienists in California earn a median of $124,930 a year, which is $60.06 an hour. That is $26,830 above the national median of $98,100, a difference of 27 percent. The state employs 24,500.
California against the US May 2025
| Figure | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $124,930 | $98,100 |
| Median hourly | $60.06 | $47.16 |
| Mean annual | $128,110 | $98,990 |
| 10th percentile | $102,090 | $74,880 |
| 90th percentile | $151,920 | $126,050 |
| Employment | 24,500 | 222,740 |
How California compares
By median pay, California ranks 1 of the 12 states this site reports for dental hygienists. Ranking is on the published median only. It says nothing about how far that salary goes once housing, state income tax and commuting are paid, and those differences between states are frequently larger than the pay gap itself.
Other states for dental hygienists May 2025
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $107,040 | $51.46 | 7,230 |
| New York | $106,130 | $51.03 | 13,660 |
| Massachusetts | $100,640 | $48.39 | 6,850 |
| Texas | $99,240 | $47.71 | 16,380 |
| North Carolina | $97,850 | $47.04 | 6,690 |
| Illinois | $96,670 | $46.48 | 8,970 |
| Georgia | $95,490 | $45.91 | 7,440 |
| Florida | $91,980 | $44.22 | 11,980 |
| Ohio | $88,990 | $42.78 | 8,630 |
| Michigan | $83,790 | $40.28 | 8,640 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,610 | $38.76 | 7,970 |
Common questions
How much do dental hygienists make in California?
The median salary for dental hygienists in California is $124,930 a year, or $60.06 an hour. That is $26,830 above the national median of $98,100, a difference of 27 percent. California employs 24,500 of them.
Is California a good state to work as a dental hygienist?
On pay alone, California ranks 1 of the 12 states this site reports for the occupation, by median salary. Pay is only half the question though: a state with a higher median can still leave you with less once housing and taxes are counted, and this site does not adjust for cost of living.
What is the pay range for dental hygienists in California?
The lowest-paid 10 percent earn $102,090 or less and the highest-paid 10 percent earn $151,920 or more. The middle half falls between $109,730 and $132,120.
Where these numbers come from
Published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release, for SOC code 29-1292 in California. Nothing on this page is interpolated or averaged by this site. See the national dental hygienists salary page for the full picture, or how to read these figures for what the survey covers.