Free through Oct 16, 2026. One Hiring Pack with no account. Unlimited Hiring Packs once your email is verified. Order a pack

Home/Hire/Dentist/San Diego, CA

Hire · San Diego, CA

Hire a Dentist in San Diego, CA

The group practice across town is recruiting associates for the same patients. A dentist who can carry a full schedule belongs at this metro's upper quarter. In San Diego, the May 2025 median is about $158.2K, 5% under the California median.

What to offer

A group practice that copies a national midpoint will lose an associate to the office that offered a better schedule. Use this metro's median as a floor, and the 75th for someone who can run a full chair on day one.

PercentileMetroCAU.S.
25th$124,520$124,470$125,710
Median$158,160$165,950$170,950
75th$222,040$213,260$224,040

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

How hard this is to fill

Hiring difficulty
2.2
Metro employment
1,710
National growth, 2025 to 2035
5.7%
National openings a year
4.2 thousand

This is the same score as the free check.

For one manager

Say what the schedule looks like, who owns the patients, and how pay is figured. Ask which procedures the dentist does without referring out.

License and training

Every state licenses dentists through its dental board. The usual path is a DDS or DMD from an accredited school, the national board exam, and a clinical exam the state accepts. Confirm your state board's rules before you hire or start.

Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, dentists

Nearby metros

Related roles

Job seekers: Dentist jobs in San Diego.

Dentists, General hiring pages

Get the local report

Questions

What do dentists earn in San Diego, CA?

In San Diego, the May 2025 median for dentists is about $158.2K, 7% under the U.S. median. The middle half runs from $124.5K to $222.0K.

Who hires dentists in San Diego?

Dental practices, group practices, and community health centers hire dentists in San Diego. Organizations on file in the provider extract include Family Health Centers of San Diego, Centro De Salud De La Comunidad De San Ysidro, La Maestra Family Clinic.

How do I get licensed as a dentist in California?

Start with the California dental board. It sets the exams it accepts and the steps for a dentist moving from another state to San Diego.

What should a practice in San Diego weigh when hiring a dentist?

Ask which procedures the dentist does alone and how fast they build a schedule. San Diego has far more of these workers than a typical metro. This metro is 5% under the California median.