Dentist.
Los Angeles.
$196,000
median salary, 13% above the national average
$143,000 to $249,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Dentist in Los Angeles earns a median of $196,000 in 2026. That is 13% above the national average. The range runs from $143,000 to $249,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Specialization is the largest pay driver, with oral surgeons, orthodontists, and endodontists earning well above general dentists. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Dentist in Los Angeles, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $139,990 for Dentists, General (SOC 29-1021) in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area, based on 6,300 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$74,510
25th percentile
$75,570
Median
$139,990
75th percentile
$197,510
90th percentile
$219,380
Workers surveyed
6,300
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $196,000 is 40% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Dentists, General covers a different population than the Dentist title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Dentists, General (SOC 29-1021) rather than Dentist specifically. The Los Angeles range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 29-1021Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $177,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$127,000
to $157,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$167,000
to $206,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$216,000
to $255,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$245,000
to $304,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $41,000 to the total package.
Base
$196,000
Equity
$22,000
Bonus
$15,000
Signing
$4,000
Estimated total: $237,000
How Los Angeles compares.
Los Angeles, CA
$196,000
Cost of living: 18% above average
National Average
$173,000
Los Angeles is $23,000 above
Dentist salary by city.
Salary by role in Los Angeles.
What you should know.
The Dentist landscape in Los Angeles is not what most salary sites will tell you. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. The city's diverse economy spans aerospace, healthcare, fashion, and gaming. LA offers strong salaries that, while below San Francisco levels, pair with a broader lifestyle appeal and lower housing costs relative to the Bay Area. Specialization is the largest pay driver, with oral surgeons, orthodontists, and endodontists earning well above general dentists. Practice ownership versus associateship creates a wide income gap. Geographic location and local competition density affect patient volume and fee schedules, while cosmetic and implant services generate the highest per-procedure revenue.
New associate dentists earn $130,000 to $160,000 on a base plus production model. Experienced associates with five to seven years reach $175,000 to $220,000. Practice owners or partners in multi-location groups can earn $250,000 to $400,000 or more depending on practice profitability. In Los Angeles, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 18% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Associate dentists often receive production-based bonuses of 25 to 35% of collections above a base guarantee. Practice owners retain higher gross income but carry overhead of 55 to 65%. Benefits for associates include malpractice coverage, CE stipends, and health insurance. And on the tax side: california's 13.3% top state income tax rate applies to LA earners as well. There is no city income tax, but the high state rate makes take home pay lower than cities in no income tax states. When someone quotes you $196,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight cross industry skills. LA employers value candidates who bridge entertainment and tech, so framing your experience across verticals can unlock higher offers. The range for Dentists in Los Angeles runs from $143,000 to $249,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
Dentist salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Los Angeles.
Related salary pages
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Dentist Salary in Los Angeles, CA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/dentist/los-angeles
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