Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| California | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $124,930 | $99,864 | +25% |
| Median hourly wage | $60.06 | $48.01 | +25% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $112,855.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Dental Hygienist in California is $124,930, or about $60.06 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Dental Hygienists is $99,864. California is +25% above the national median.
Entry-level dental hygienists in California typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 24,500 dental hygienist jobs on record and a median salary of $124,930, California offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, dental hygienists rank 125 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 84% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric at $400,150, Neurologists at $357,080, Psychiatrists at $353,500 — all figures are median annual wages for California.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, dental hygienists rank 125 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 84% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in California | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $400,150 | $820 |
| Neurologists | $357,080 | $1,090 |
| Psychiatrists | $353,500 | $5,420 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $313,890 | $6,370 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $301,240 | $1,610 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $292,410 | $2,230 |
California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 793 occupations in California.