Dentists salary in San Francisco, CA
Median pay for dentists in San Francisco, CA: $202,130/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $113,830 – $239,200 · about 1,500 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($165,500) by +$36,630 (+22%).
What it's really worth in San Francisco
With San Francisco's cost of living at 118 (US=100), that $202,130 has the buying power of about $171,951 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $129,315 · median home $1,149,215 · median rent $3,258/mo.
How San Francisco ranks for this job
On raw pay, San Francisco, CA is 20th of the 171 metros we hold dentists wages for. Once San Francisco's cost of living is applied, it ranks 83rd.
The headline number flatters San Francisco. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, dentists here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in San Francisco
A median home in San Francisco, CA costs $1,149,215 — about 5.7× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $3,258/mo works out at 19% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where dentists earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to San Francisco.
| Metro | Median pay | vs San Francisco | Rent vs San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | $239,200 | +18% | 0.5× |
| Salem, OR | $226,010 | +12% | 0.5× |
| Anchorage, AK | $225,170 | +11% | 0.5× |
| Phoenix, AZ | $219,600 | +9% | 0.5× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs San Francisco | Rent vs San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas, CA | $216,140 | +7% | 0.9× |
| San Jose, CA | $206,850 | +2% | 1.1× |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $202,020 | +0% | 0.9× |
| Fresno, CA | $192,860 | −5% | 0.6× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires dentists around San Francisco
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Kaiser Permanente · Healthcare
Other jobs in San Francisco
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 171 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.