How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Oakland, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Oakland, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Oakland, California earns $70.56 per hour, or $146,760 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $12,230 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $109,460, and the top 10% of earners make over $156,580.
That pay is 17% above the California figure of $124,930 and 50% above the national figure of $98,100. Oakland ranks 1st of 25 metro areas in California for Dental Hygienist pay. About 3,780 Dental Hygienists work in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area. Oakland is part of the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so San Francisco and Fremont share these figures.
Dental Hygienist pay in Oakland at a glance
- Typical pay is $70.56 an hour, or $146,760 a year.
- That is 17% above the California figure, ranking 1st of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $109,460; the top 10% make over $156,580.
- Typical pay rose +36% from 2015 to 2025, against +29% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Oakland?
Pay in Oakland runs from entry-level positions at around $52.62 an hour to more than $75.28 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Dental Hygienist pay by career stage in Oakland
| Career stage | Oakland | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $109,460$52.62 an hour | $102,090$49.08 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $130,200$62.60 an hour | $109,730$52.76 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $146,760$70.56 an hour | $124,930$60.06 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $154,920$74.48 an hour | $132,120$63.52 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $156,580$75.28 an hour | $151,920$73.04 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Oakland
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Oakland was $107,940 a year. By 2025 it had reached $146,760, a change of +36%, compared with +29% for California over the same years.
How Oakland compares with other California cities
Oakland pays Dental Hygienists the most of any metro area in California. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $98,240.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Oakland | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oakland metro incl. San Francisco · Fremont | $146,760 | $70.56 | this city | 3,780 |
| 2 | Santa Clara | $139,990 | $67.30 | -5% | 1,620 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $136,210 | $65.49 | -7% | 310 |
| 4 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $135,990 | $65.38 | -7% | 260 |
| 5 | Napa | $131,370 | $63.16 | -10% | 100 |
| 6 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $130,600 | $62.79 | -11% | 220 |
| 7 | Vallejo | $128,570 | $61.81 | -12% | 270 |
| 8 | Ventura metro incl. Oxnard · Thousand Oaks | $126,530 | $60.83 | -14% | 500 |
| 9 | San Luis Obispo metro incl. Paso Robles | $125,670 | $60.42 | -14% | 220 |
| 10 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $125,130 | $60.16 | -15% | 480 |
| 11 | Yuba City | $124,780 | $59.99 | -15% | 60 |
| 12 | Modesto | $123,910 | $59.57 | -16% | 390 |
| 13 | Chula Vista | $123,790 | $59.52 | -16% | 1,940 |
| 14 | Long Beach metro incl. Anaheim · Los Angeles | $122,980 | $59.12 | -16% | 7,940 |
| 15 | Roseville metro incl. Sacramento · Folsom | $122,540 | $58.92 | -17% | 2,200 |
| 16 | Salinas | $122,370 | $58.83 | -17% | 240 |
| 17 | Chico | $118,800 | $57.12 | -19% | 150 |
| 18 | Redding | $118,130 | $56.79 | -20% | 130 |
| 19 | Merced | $117,400 | $56.44 | -20% | 100 |
| 20 | El Centro | $115,870 | $55.71 | -21% | 40 |
| 21 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $114,380 | $54.99 | -22% | 340 |
| 22 | Corcoran metro incl. Hanford | $113,160 | $54.41 | -23% | 80 |
| 23 | San Bernardino | $105,730 | $50.83 | -28% | 1,860 |
| 24 | Fresno | $101,730 | $48.91 | -31% | 530 |
| 25 | Visalia | $98,240 | $47.23 | -33% | 200 |
Every metro area in California with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $124,930
Is Oakland a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists in Oakland earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $146,760 a year, 50% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area, about 1.6 are Dental Hygienist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.4. Dental Hygienist jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Oakland, CA?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Oakland earns $146,760 a year, or $70.56 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $109,460 and the top 10% earn over $156,580.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Oakland?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Oakland is $70.56. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $52.62, and the top 10% earn over $75.28 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Oakland?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Oakland typically offer around $52.62 an hour, or $109,460 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Oakland higher than in the rest of California?
- Oakland pay is 17% above the California figure of $124,930 a year, ranking 1st of 25 metro areas in the state.