How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in San Diego, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in San Diego, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in San Diego, California earns $59.52 per hour, or $123,790 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $10,316 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $108,320, and the top 10% of earners make over $130,530.
That pay is 1% below the California figure of $124,930 and 26% above the national figure of $98,100. San Diego ranks 13th of 25 metro areas in California for Dental Hygienist pay. About 1,940 Dental Hygienists work in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area. San Diego is part of the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Chula Vista and Carlsbad share these figures.
Dental Hygienist pay in San Diego at a glance
- Typical pay is $59.52 an hour, or $123,790 a year.
- That is 1% below the California figure, ranking 13th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $108,320; the top 10% make over $130,530.
- Typical pay rose +42% from 2015 to 2025, against +29% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in San Diego?
Pay in San Diego runs from entry-level positions at around $52.08 an hour to more than $62.76 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 San Diego
| Career stage | San Diego | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $108,320$52.08 an hour | $102,090$49.08 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $121,380$58.35 an hour | $109,730$52.76 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $123,790$59.52 an hour | $124,930$60.06 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $126,820$60.97 an hour | $132,120$63.52 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $130,530$62.76 an hour | $151,920$73.04 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in San Diego
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in San Diego was $87,230 a year. By 2025 it had reached $123,790, a change of +42%, compared with +29% for California over the same years.
How San Diego compares with other California cities
San Francisco pays Dental Hygienists the most in California at $146,760 a year, $22,970 more than San Diego. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $98,240.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs San Diego | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | $146,760 | $70.56 | +19% | 3,780 |
| 2 | Santa Clara | $139,990 | $67.30 | +13% | 1,620 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $136,210 | $65.49 | +10% | 310 |
| 4 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $135,990 | $65.38 | +10% | 260 |
| 5 | Napa | $131,370 | $63.16 | +6% | 100 |
| 6 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $130,600 | $62.79 | +6% | 220 |
| 7 | Vallejo | $128,570 | $61.81 | +4% | 270 |
| 8 | Ventura metro incl. Oxnard · Thousand Oaks | $126,530 | $60.83 | +2% | 500 |
| 9 | San Luis Obispo metro incl. Paso Robles | $125,670 | $60.42 | +2% | 220 |
| 10 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $125,130 | $60.16 | +1% | 480 |
| 11 | Yuba City | $124,780 | $59.99 | +1% | 60 |
| 12 | Modesto | $123,910 | $59.57 | 0% | 390 |
| 13 | San Diego metro incl. Chula Vista · Carlsbad | $123,790 | $59.52 | this city | 1,940 |
| 14 | Long Beach metro incl. Anaheim · Los Angeles | $122,980 | $59.12 | -1% | 7,940 |
| 15 | Roseville metro incl. Sacramento · Folsom | $122,540 | $58.92 | -1% | 2,200 |
| 16 | Salinas | $122,370 | $58.83 | -1% | 240 |
| 17 | Chico | $118,800 | $57.12 | -4% | 150 |
| 18 | Redding | $118,130 | $56.79 | -5% | 130 |
| 19 | Merced | $117,400 | $56.44 | -5% | 100 |
| 20 | El Centro | $115,870 | $55.71 | -6% | 40 |
| 21 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $114,380 | $54.99 | -8% | 340 |
| 22 | Corcoran metro incl. Hanford | $113,160 | $54.41 | -9% | 80 |
| 23 | San Bernardino | $105,730 | $50.83 | -15% | 1,860 |
| 24 | Fresno | $101,730 | $48.91 | -18% | 530 |
| 25 | Visalia | $98,240 | $47.23 | -21% | 200 |
Every metro area in California with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $124,930
Is San Diego a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists in San Diego earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $123,790 a year, 26% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area, about 1.3 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 San Diego, CA?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in San Diego earns $123,790 a year, or $59.52 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $108,320 and the top 10% earn over $130,530.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in San Diego?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in San Diego is $59.52. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $52.08, and the top 10% earn over $62.76 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in San Diego?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in San Diego typically offer around $52.08 an hour, or $108,320 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in San Diego higher than in the rest of California?
- San Diego pay is 1% below the California figure of $124,930 a year, ranking 13th of 25 metro areas in the state. San Francisco pays the most in California at $146,760.