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Dental Hygienist Salary

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 salary, dental hygienist pay, dental hygienist hourly wage

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.

dental hygienist salary growth, dental hygienist averag salary yearly, hourly pay for dental hygienist

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.

dental hygienist salary, dental hygienist state income

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.

dental hygienist city salary, top paying city dental hygienist

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:

highest paying city dental hygienst, city salary dental hygienist

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:

  1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Dental Hygienists, May 2020 [www.bls.gov/]
  2. 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/]

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