Dental Hygienists Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for dental hygienistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $98,990 ≈ $48/hr
National median salary $98,100
Total employment 222,740 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +7%
Faster than average
Annual openings 15,300 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 221,600 → 237,200 (+15,500)
Typical entry education Associate's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$131,530
- California$128,110
- District of Columbia$127,910
- Alaska$122,560
- Oregon$120,470
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Alabama$60,850
- Mississippi$68,630
- West Virginia$71,290
- Kentucky$78,950
- Wyoming$82,320
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $131,530 | $131,160 | $63 | +32.9% | 6,330 |
| 2 | California | $128,110 | $124,930 | $62 | +29.4% | 24,500 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $127,910 | $137,220 | $62 | +29.2% | 320 |
| 4 | Alaska | $122,560 | $132,690 | $59 | +23.8% | 790 |
| 5 | Oregon | $120,470 | $122,080 | $58 | +21.7% | 3,600 |
| 6 | Nevada | $114,360 | $115,290 | $55 | +15.5% | 1,510 |
| 7 | Colorado | $110,030 | $109,580 | $53 | +11.2% | 4,270 |
| 8 | Maryland | $109,090 | $107,830 | $52 | +10.2% | 3,500 |
| 9 | Virginia | $105,120 | $102,950 | $51 | +6.2% | 3,770 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $104,410 | $107,040 | $50 | +5.5% | 7,230 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $103,830 | $103,970 | $50 | +4.9% | 4,110 |
| 12 | New York | $103,640 | $106,130 | $50 | +4.7% | 13,660 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $102,640 | $101,250 | $49 | +3.7% | 1,360 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $102,160 | $100,640 | $49 | +3.2% | 6,850 |
| 15 | Arizona | $101,450 | $101,010 | $49 | +2.5% | 4,530 |
| 16 | Delaware | $100,660 | $98,910 | $48 | +1.7% | 750 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $98,720 | $100,690 | $47 | -0.3% | 3,240 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $98,000 | $97,580 | $47 | -1% | 2,860 |
| 19 | Vermont | $97,540 | $97,470 | $47 | -1.5% | 560 |
| 20 | Montana | $96,730 | $98,440 | $47 | -2.3% | 860 |
| 21 | Maine | $96,440 | $97,680 | $46 | -2.6% | 1,060 |
| 22 | Texas | $96,240 | $99,240 | $46 | -2.8% | 16,380 |
| 23 | Idaho | $95,500 | $94,650 | $46 | -3.5% | 2,060 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $94,890 | $95,940 | $46 | -4.1% | 1,420 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $94,180 | $96,540 | $45 | -4.9% | 5,080 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $93,660 | $97,570 | $45 | -5.4% | 830 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $93,640 | $97,850 | $45 | -5.4% | 6,690 |
| 28 | Illinois | $91,820 | $96,670 | $44 | -7.2% | 8,970 |
| 29 | Georgia | $91,220 | $95,490 | $44 | -7.8% | 7,440 |
| 30 | Ohio | $89,900 | $88,990 | $43 | -9.2% | 8,630 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $89,750 | $90,530 | $43 | -9.3% | 660 |
| 32 | Indiana | $89,660 | $92,330 | $43 | -9.4% | 5,020 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $89,180 | $92,210 | $43 | -9.9% | 630 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $88,990 | $92,580 | $43 | -10.1% | 1,280 |
| 35 | Rhode Island | $88,660 | $86,910 | $43 | -10.4% | 770 |
| 36 | Missouri | $88,430 | $92,750 | $43 | -10.7% | 3,810 |
| 37 | Florida | $88,320 | $91,980 | $42 | -10.8% | 11,980 |
| 38 | Utah | $87,770 | $91,120 | $42 | -11.3% | 3,780 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $87,420 | $84,640 | $42 | -11.7% | 4,570 |
| 40 | Iowa | $86,640 | $84,010 | $42 | -12.5% | 2,440 |
| 41 | Michigan | $85,940 | $83,790 | $41 | -13.2% | 8,640 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $85,660 | $86,760 | $41 | -13.5% | 1,740 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $84,980 | $84,340 | $41 | -14.2% | 3,160 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $84,260 | $80,610 | $41 | -14.9% | 7,970 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $83,160 | $85,240 | $40 | -16% | 2,690 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $82,320 | $85,130 | $40 | -16.8% | 500 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $78,950 | $78,830 | $38 | -20.2% | 2,070 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $71,290 | $73,840 | $34 | -28% | 1,250 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $68,630 | $67,280 | $33 | -30.7% | 1,140 |
| 50 | Alabama | $60,850 | $61,160 | $29 | -38.5% | 3,170 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 508 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $146,760 | $180,520 | 3,780 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $139,990 | $142,850 | 1,620 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $136,210 | $137,050 | 310 |
| 4 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $135,990 | $130,790 | 260 |
| 5 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $133,740 | $141,230 | 3,500 |
| 6 | Anchorage, AK | $132,740 | $120,670 | 490 |
| 7 | Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $132,690 | $126,570 | 230 |
| 8 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $131,860 | $122,780 | 70 |
| 9 | Napa, CA | $131,370 | $131,610 | 100 |
| 10 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $131,040 | $127,870 | 190 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing dental hygienistss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $104,180 | $100,070 | — |
| 2 | Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | $104,030 | $99,810 | — |
| 3 | Office Administrative Services | $102,420 | $103,060 | — |
| 4 | Administrative and Support Services | $102,340 | $98,510 | 2,060 |
| 5 | Employment Services | $102,340 | $98,240 | 1,920 |
| 6 | Sector 56 - Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $102,340 | $98,510 | 2,060 |
| 7 | Sector 52 - Finance and Insurance | $100,180 | $99,000 | 40 |
| 8 | Offices of Dentists | $98,280 | $99,350 | 211,560 |
| 9 | Ambulatory Health Care Services | $98,230 | $99,230 | 216,780 |
| 10 | Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $98,200 | $99,170 | 220,190 |
| 11 | Sector 62 - Health Care and Social Assistance | $98,180 | $99,200 | 217,470 |
| 12 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $98,100 | $98,990 | 222,740 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do dental hygienists make in the U.S.?
The median dental hygienists salary in the United States is $98,100 per year (mean $98,990), and about 80% earn between $74,880 and $126,050.
How much do dental hygienists make per hour?
Roughly $48 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $98,990 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays dental hygienists the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for dental hygienists at $131,530 per year (median $131,160).
What is the job outlook for dental hygienists?
Employment is projected to change +7% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 15,300 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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