Dental Hygienist Salary
HealthJob is supported by readers. Some of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own.
How Much Do Dental Hygienists Make?Â
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that dental hygienists make a median annual income of $77,810 per year or $37 per hour. The lowest 10% of chiropractors earned less than $60,100 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $100,200.
Do Dental Hygienists Get Paid Well?Â
Dental Hygienists are paid well—they earn more than the average worker in health care. The average salary, according to the BLS, for dental hygienists is $77,810 per year, which is 4% more than the average salary for all health care professionals, $69,870 per year. Dental Hygienists make 85% more than the average salary for all professions, $41,950.
How Much Do Dental Hygienists Make Starting Out?
How Much Do Dental Hygienists Make Starting Out?
The BLS does not provide average compensation data for entry-level positions for dental hygienists just starting out, but the bottom 25% of dental hygienists earn $73,540 each year according to the BLS.
Read More:Â Complete Guide to Dental Hygienist Schooling
How Many Dental Hygienists Are There In The United States?
In 2021, there were 206,100 dental hygienists in the United States. The following states employ the most dental hygienists:
- California - 25,200
- Texas - 13,030
- Florida - 11,230
Where Can Dental Hygienists Earn The Most?
Dental Hygienists' salaries depend on location and work setting. According to the BLS, dental hygienists earn the most in the following industries: offices of dentists (offices of dentists) , employment services (offices of dentists) Â and offices of physicians. The metropolitan areas with the highest pay for dental hygienists are:
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA - $81,560
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA - $83,330
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA - $79,710
How Much do Dental Hygienists Earn in Each State?
The table below compares dental hygienist salaries across states and U.S. territories (Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wages May 2020). You can also find data for the number of dental hygienists in each state as well as the number of dental hygienists per 1,000 jobs—a figure that can help you determine the job's popularity in a given location. Not all locations have employment statistics.Â
