How much money does a dental hygienist make per year or per hour? Do dental hygienists make good money? Let’s take a look at the latest salary statistics published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to find out.
Dental Hygienist Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics [1,2], in 2020, the average salary for dental hygienists was $78,050 per year and $37.53 per hour in the United States.
That’s only the average for the nation, so dental hygienists can make more or less than average, depending on their location, industry, education level, experience, and more. Also, you might want to view more healthcare salary data.
Dental Hygienist Median Salary
The median salary for dental hygienists was $77,090 per year and $37.06 per hour in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median number is the middle number in a sorted data set.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics also published percentile earnings estimates. The 90th percentile salary was $104,420, so an estimated 10% of dental hygienists in the U.S. earned more than that.
- 10th percentile: $54,200 / $26.06
- 25th percentile: $65,440 / $31.46
- 50th percentile: $77,090 / $37.06
- 75th percentile: $91,620 / $44.05
- 90th percentile: $104,420 / $50.20
Dental Hygienist Salary Growth
Now let’s take a look at the salary growth for dental hygienists. As you can see, salary does continue to increase in a positive direction, which is good. The biggest percentage increase in salary came in 2019, which was a 2.29% increase from the previous year.
The year with the lowest percentage increase came in 2020, which may have been due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, these statistics were dated May of 2020, so we haven’t seen the full effect of the pandemic on dental hygienist salary growth. Unfortunately, I do know that many dental offices were hit hard by the pandemic, so hopefully things will recover soon for all of the dental health professionals.
Highest and Lowest Paying States for Dental Hygienists
Now let’s take a look at the states that paid the highest and lowest average salary to dental hygienists. The salary map below will give you a quick overview of which states paid the highest salary, represented in darker purple, and which states paid the lower salary averages, represented in lighter purple.
The highest paying state was Alaska, which paid an average dental hygienist salary of $115,050 and an hourly wage of $55.31. The lowest paying state was Alabama, which paid an average dental hygienist salary of $49,200 and an average hourly wage of $23.65.
Dental Hygienist Salary in Every State
Here is a list of the average dental hygienist salary and hourly wage data from all reported states. The figures below also include the employment estimate for each state. California employed the highest number, an estimated 17,880, of dental hygienists. South Dakota was the state that employed the lowest number of dental hygienists. Only 510 were estimated to have worked in that state.
| State/Territory | Employment | Hourly Wage | Salary |
| Alabama | 3,670 | $23.65 | $49,200 |
| Alaska | 610 | $55.31 | $115,050 |
| Arizona | 3,660 | $40.32 | $83,860 |
| Arkansas | 1,560 | $31.60 | $65,730 |
| California | 17,880 | $52.87 | $109,970 |
| Colorado | 3,650 | $41.89 | $87,140 |
| Connecticut | 3,070 | $41.16 | $85,610 |
| Delaware | 540 | $41.48 | $86,280 |
| District of Columbia | 180 | $45.50 | $94,650 |
| Florida | 11,830 | $32.63 | $67,870 |
| Georgia | 5,690 | $31.89 | $66,330 |
| Hawaii | 980 | $41.81 | $86,970 |
| Idaho | 1,760 | $36.86 | $76,670 |
| Illinois | 6,980 | $35.68 | $74,210 |
| Indiana | 4,780 | $34.92 | $72,640 |
| Iowa | 2,020 | $35.33 | $73,480 |
| Kansas | 2,030 | $33.55 | $69,790 |
| Kentucky | 2,130 | $29.39 | $61,140 |
| Louisiana | 2,340 | $33.65 | $69,980 |
| Maine | 890 | $32.75 | $68,110 |
| Maryland | 3,730 | $42.09 | $87,540 |
| Massachusetts | 5,420 | $40.79 | $84,850 |
| Michigan | 6,560 | $31.97 | $66,500 |
| Minnesota | 4,340 | $36.74 | $76,410 |
| Mississippi | 1,180 | $27.23 | $56,650 |
| Missouri | 3,630 | $33.52 | $69,730 |
| Montana | 760 | $37.02 | $77,010 |
| Nebraska | 1,010 | $33.97 | $70,650 |
| Nevada | 2,430 | $42.96 | $89,360 |
| New Hampshire | 1,420 | $39.49 | $82,150 |
| New Jersey | 5,820 | $42.38 | $88,150 |
| New Mexico | 1,090 | $37.70 | $78,410 |
| New York | 9,190 | $36.97 | $76,890 |
| North Carolina | 6,700 | $34.20 | $71,140 |
| North Dakota | 690 | $36.13 | $75,160 |
| Ohio | 8,690 | $33.11 | $68,880 |
| Oklahoma | 2,730 | $36.88 | $76,710 |
| Oregon | 3,310 | $41.56 | $86,450 |
| Pennsylvania | 7,170 | $33.40 | $69,470 |
| Rhode Island | 730 | $36.53 | $75,980 |
| South Carolina | 3,500 | $29.50 | $61,360 |
| South Dakota | 510 | $35.29 | $73,390 |
| Tennessee | 4,020 | $31.65 | $65,820 |
| Texas | 13,230 | $37.31 | $77,590 |
| Utah | 2,800 | $33.20 | $69,050 |
| Vermont | 520 | $35.58 | $74,010 |
| Virginia | 5,040 | $39.68 | $82,530 |
| Washington | 6,290 | $45.89 | $95,450 |
| West Virginia | 980 | $29.58 | $61,530 |
| Wisconsin | 4,540 | $33.66 | $70,020 |
| Wyoming | 530 | $31.87 | $66,280 |
Again, these are only averages for each state, and once you factor in the cost of living in some of the higher paying states, those higher averages may not seem as impressive.
Dental Hygienist Salary in Major Cities
Now let’s take a look at the highest and lowest paying cities and surrounding metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas for dental hygienists. As you look at the major cities and metropolitan areas in the map below, you can immediately see how much salary can vary, even within a single state. The darker shades of purple represent areas with higher salaries and lighter shades are the lower paying areas. The Bureau of Labor Statistics did not have any data for these few areas in white.
The area with the highest average salary for dental hygienists was the Santa Maria – Santa Barbara, California area, which paid an average salary of $133,730 and an hourly wage of $64.30.
The area with the lowest average salary was the Gadsden, Alabama area, which paid an average salary of $37,850 and an hourly wage of $18.20.
Where do dental hygienists make the most money in the United States? Here’s a quick list of the highest and lowest paying areas for dental hygienists:
Dental Hygienist Top Paying Cities
There are over 500 areas (cities, metropolitan areas, and non-metropolitan areas) reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you’d like to look at the salary and employment figures for all of those areas, you can view our “top paying cities for dental hygienists” article.
Top Paying Industries for Dental Hygienists
Now let’s take a look at salary averages based on industry. Which industry paid the most money to dental hygienists? The “Specialty Hospitals” industry paid the highest average salary to dental hygienists. This industry offered an average income of $80,800 per year and an hourly wage of $38.85. However, only 40 were estimated to be employed in this industry.
| Industry | Employment | Hourly Wage |
Salary |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | 40 | $ 38.85 | $ 80,800 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 30 | $ 38.69 | $ 80,470 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 310 | $ 38.25 | $ 79,550 |
| Offices of Dentists | 183,280 | $ 37.65 | $ 78,320 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 1,640 | $ 37.49 | $ 77,980 |
Industries with Highest Employment Level for Dental Hygienists
Finally, let’s look at the average salary for the industry that employed most of the dental hygienists in the United States. As you might have guessed, most of them work in the “Offices of Dentists” industry, which paid an average salary of $78,320 and an hourly wage of $37.65. An estimated 183,280 dental hygienists worked in dental offices, out of the estimated 194,830 working in the U.S.
| Industry | Employment | Hourly wage | Salary |
| Offices of Dentists | 183,280 | $ 37.65 | $ 78,320 |
| Employment Services | 2,950 | $ 36.54 | $ 76,000 |
| Offices of Physicians | 2,410 | $ 37.41 | $ 77,810 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 1,640 | $ 37.49 | $ 77,980 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | 860 | $ 31.72 | $ 65,970 |
Works Cited:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Dental Hygienists, May 2020 [www.bls.gov/]
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2020 OEWS Maps, Employment, Salary of Dental Hygienists, by state and area, May 2020, accessed 09/25/2021, [https://www.bls.gov/]