Dentist Salary in San Diego (2026)

Typical local-market pay: $160,000/year (Verified BLS OES May 2024 · Doximity 2025 · NALP 2025 · Levels.fyi). Lifestyle equivalent of a New York $160,000 salary: $124,000/year (COLI-scaled, not market pay). COLI rank #15 of 113.

Local market
$160,000
Verified BLS OES May 2024 · Doximity 2025 · NALP 2025 · Levels.fyi
Lifestyle equivalent
$124,000
COLI 77.5 · NYC $160,000 scaled · not market pay
Take-home (on market pay)
63%
$8,453/mo net
COLI (NYC = 100)
77.5
#15 of 113
NYC baseline
$160,000
mid-career USD

Salary Range in San Diego

COLI-scaled lifestyle-equivalent range for a dentist in San Diego (NYC baseline × COLI 77.5 / 100). This is not local market pay.

Entry Level
$54,250
Mid-Career
$124,000
Senior
$232,500

Top Cities for Dentist Salary

Highest COLI-scaled lifestyle equivalents (not local market pay):

City Local market Lifestyle equivalent Take-Home
ZurichCHF 77,783CHF 158,67861%
GenevaCHF 77,783CHF 153,75157%
New York$160,000$160,00062%
San Francisco$160,000$156,16063%
SingaporeS$114,639S$182,79676%

See all 113 cities for Dentist →

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Other Jobs in San Diego

Dentist Salary — Other Cities

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a dentist earn in San Diego?

Local-market pay for a dentist in San Diego is approximately $160,000/year (Verified · BLS OES May 2024 · Doximity 2025 · NALP 2025 · Levels.fyi). Separately, the lifestyle equivalent of a New York $160,000 salary is $124,000 (COLI 77.5, NYC = 100). That equivalent is not what someone earns locally. COLI-scaled entry/senior lifestyle equivalents: $54,250 – $232,500.

What is the take-home pay for a dentist in San Diego?

After income tax and social contributions in United States, a dentist in San Diego takes home approximately 63% of their gross salary, or around $8,453/month ($101,440/year in USD equivalent).

How does San Diego rank for dentist salaries globally?

San Diego ranks #15 out of 113 cities on COLI-scaled lifestyle equivalent for dentists (not local market rank). The top city on that equivalent scale is Zurich.