How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in San Luis Obispo, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in San Luis Obispo, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Luis Obispo · Paso Robles metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in San Luis Obispo, California earns $60.42 per hour, or $125,670 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $10,473 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $106,190, and the top 10% of earners make over $147,480.
That pay is 1% above the California figure of $124,930 and 28% above the national figure of $98,100. San Luis Obispo ranks 9th of 25 metro areas in California for Dental Hygienist pay. About 220 Dental Hygienists work in the San Luis Obispo · Paso Robles area. San Luis Obispo is part of the San Luis Obispo · Paso Robles metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Paso Robles share these figures.
Dental Hygienist pay in San Luis Obispo at a glance
- Typical pay is $60.42 an hour, or $125,670 a year.
- That is 1% above the California figure, ranking 9th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $106,190; the top 10% make over $147,480.
- Typical pay rose +34% from 2015 to 2025, against +29% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in San Luis Obispo?
Pay in San Luis Obispo runs from entry-level positions at around $51.06 an hour to more than $70.91 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 Luis Obispo
| Career stage | San Luis Obispo | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $106,190$51.06 an hour | $102,090$49.08 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $117,570$56.52 an hour | $109,730$52.76 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $125,670$60.42 an hour | $124,930$60.06 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $147,220$70.78 an hour | $132,120$63.52 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $147,480$70.91 an hour | $151,920$73.04 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Luis Obispo · Paso Robles area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in San Luis Obispo
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the San Luis Obispo · Paso Robles 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 Luis Obispo was $93,570 a year. By 2025 it had reached $125,670, a change of +34%, compared with +29% for California over the same years.
How San Luis Obispo compares with other California cities
San Francisco pays Dental Hygienists the most in California at $146,760 a year, $21,090 more than San Luis Obispo. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $98,240.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs San Luis Obispo | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | $146,760 | $70.56 | +17% | 3,780 |
| 2 | Santa Clara | $139,990 | $67.30 | +11% | 1,620 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $136,210 | $65.49 | +8% | 310 |
| 4 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $135,990 | $65.38 | +8% | 260 |
| 5 | Napa | $131,370 | $63.16 | +5% | 100 |
| 6 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $130,600 | $62.79 | +4% | 220 |
| 7 | Vallejo | $128,570 | $61.81 | +2% | 270 |
| 8 | Ventura metro incl. Oxnard · Thousand Oaks | $126,530 | $60.83 | +1% | 500 |
| 9 | San Luis Obispo metro incl. Paso Robles | $125,670 | $60.42 | this city | 220 |
| 10 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $125,130 | $60.16 | 0% | 480 |
| 11 | Yuba City | $124,780 | $59.99 | -1% | 60 |
| 12 | Modesto | $123,910 | $59.57 | -1% | 390 |
| 13 | Chula Vista | $123,790 | $59.52 | -1% | 1,940 |
| 14 | Long Beach metro incl. Anaheim · Los Angeles | $122,980 | $59.12 | -2% | 7,940 |
| 15 | Roseville metro incl. Sacramento · Folsom | $122,540 | $58.92 | -2% | 2,200 |
| 16 | Salinas | $122,370 | $58.83 | -3% | 240 |
| 17 | Chico | $118,800 | $57.12 | -5% | 150 |
| 18 | Redding | $118,130 | $56.79 | -6% | 130 |
| 19 | Merced | $117,400 | $56.44 | -7% | 100 |
| 20 | El Centro | $115,870 | $55.71 | -8% | 40 |
| 21 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $114,380 | $54.99 | -9% | 340 |
| 22 | Corcoran metro incl. Hanford | $113,160 | $54.41 | -10% | 80 |
| 23 | San Bernardino | $105,730 | $50.83 | -16% | 1,860 |
| 24 | Fresno | $101,730 | $48.91 | -19% | 530 |
| 25 | Visalia | $98,240 | $47.23 | -22% | 200 |
Every metro area in California with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $124,930
Is San Luis Obispo a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists in San Luis Obispo earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $125,670 a year, 28% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Luis Obispo · Paso Robles area, about 1.8 are Dental Hygienist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.4. That makes the local economy more reliant on Dental Hygienists than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make in San Luis Obispo, CA?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in San Luis Obispo earns $125,670 a year, or $60.42 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $106,190 and the top 10% earn over $147,480.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in San Luis Obispo?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in San Luis Obispo is $60.42. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $51.06, and the top 10% earn over $70.91 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in San Luis Obispo?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in San Luis Obispo typically offer around $51.06 an hour, or $106,190 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in San Luis Obispo higher than in the rest of California?
- San Luis Obispo pay is 1% above the California figure of $124,930 a year, ranking 9th of 25 metro areas in the state. San Francisco pays the most in California at $146,760.