Average Dental Hygienists Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Dental Hygienists is $94,260 per year. The middle 50% earn between $80,060 and $102,920, with 219,070 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 377 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how Dental Hygienists pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $66,470
- 25th
- $80,060
- Median
- $94,260
- 75th
- $102,920
- 90th
- $120,060
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Pay is well above the national median for all US workers. This is an upper-income occupation.
Pay is tightly clustered around the median. Most dental hygienists earn within a narrow band, with less variation than many other occupations. That is often a sign of standardized roles or union and public-sector pay scales.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for dental hygienists from 2024 to 2034. Growth is above the US average of about 4% across all occupations. This is an expanding field.
- Projected growth
- +7.0%
- 15,500 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 15,300
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave.
- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
Where Dental Hygienists earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where dental hygienists work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Alaska at $129,760, about 37.7% above the national median. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA leads with a median of $135,010.
By state
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $129,760 | 770 |
| District of Columbia | $127,900 | 330 |
| Washington | $125,370 | 5,140 |
| California | $121,080 | 22,940 |
| Oregon | $118,280 | 3,640 |
| Colorado | $106,730 | 4,470 |
| Maryland | $105,140 | 3,780 |
| Nevada | $103,160 | 2,040 |
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $135,010 | 1,560 |
| Vallejo, CA | $134,450 | 190 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $132,010 | 280 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $131,890 | 2,700 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $131,610 | 320 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $130,110 | 100 |
| Anchorage, AK | $129,780 | 460 |
| Napa, CA | $127,840 | 100 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see dental hygienists pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for Dental Hygienists rose from $76,220 to $94,260, a gain of +23.7% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $76,220 would need to be worth $93,521 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $94,260 is $739 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +0.8% in purchasing power.
Wages have roughly kept pace with inflation. Nominal pay rose by 23.7%, but inflation absorbed most of it.
- Nominal change
- +23.7%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- +0.8%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
Dental Hygienists median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $76,220
- 2020
- $77,090
- 2021
- $77,810
- 2022
- $81,400
- 2023
- $87,530
- 2024
- $94,260
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Acupuncturists
- $78,140
- Pediatricians, General
- $210,130
- General Internal Medicine Physicians
- $236,350
- Family Medicine Physicians
- $238,380
- Cardiologists
- N/A
- Dermatologists
- N/A
Common salary questions for Dental Hygienists
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Dental Hygienists workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.