How pay is spread out
The BLS reports five points on the pay ladder. The 10th percentile is not a starting salary: it is simply the wage that one in ten hygienists earns less than.
Dental hygienist salary by state
State medians run from $61,160 in Alabama to $137,220 in District of Columbia. Hygienists are licensed state by state, so a move across a border can change both your paperwork and your pay. Once prices are taken into account, Alaska comes out on top at about $129,600.
| Compared with the top state | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $137,220 | 320 | $124,860 | |
| Alaska | $132,690 | 790 | $129,630 | |
| Washington | $131,160 | 6,330 | $122,560 | |
| California | $124,930 | 24,500 | $112,830 | |
| Oregon | $122,080 | 3,600 | $118,110 | |
| Nevada | $115,290 | 1,510 | $115,310 | |
| Colorado | $109,580 | 4,270 | $106,330 | |
| Maryland | $107,830 | 3,500 | $102,740 | |
| New Jersey | $107,040 | 7,230 | $98,380 | |
| New York | $106,130 | 13,660 | $98,340 | |
| Minnesota | $103,970 | 4,110 | $105,420 | |
| Virginia | $102,950 | 3,770 | $101,830 | |
| New Hampshire | $101,250 | 1,360 | $97,200 | |
| Arizona | $101,010 | 4,530 | $100,330 | |
| Connecticut | $100,690 | 3,240 | $97,180 | |
| Massachusetts | $100,640 | 6,850 | $95,160 | |
| Texas | $99,240 | 16,380 | $102,250 | |
| Delaware | $98,910 | 750 | $99,100 | |
| Montana | $98,440 | 860 | $104,010 | |
| North Carolina | $97,850 | 6,690 | $103,740 | |
| Maine | $97,680 | 1,060 | $100,650 | |
| Oklahoma | $97,580 | 2,860 | $111,080 | |
| Hawaii | $97,570 | 830 | $88,740 | |
| Vermont | $97,470 | 560 | $99,500 | |
| Illinois | $96,670 | 8,970 | $96,710 | |
| Wisconsin | $96,540 | 5,080 | $102,600 | |
| New Mexico | $95,940 | 1,420 | $104,040 | |
| Georgia | $95,490 | 7,440 | $99,170 | |
| Idaho | $94,650 | 2,060 | $99,120 | |
| Missouri | $92,750 | 3,810 | $102,130 | |
| Nebraska | $92,580 | 1,280 | $102,750 | |
| Indiana | $92,330 | 5,020 | $98,930 | |
| South Dakota | $92,210 | 630 | $104,090 | |
| Florida | $91,980 | 11,980 | $88,940 | |
| Utah | $91,120 | 3,780 | $92,170 | |
| North Dakota | $90,530 | 660 | $101,770 | |
| Ohio | $88,990 | 8,630 | $95,920 | |
| Rhode Island | $86,910 | 770 | $84,970 | |
| Arkansas | $86,760 | 1,740 | $99,800 | |
| Louisiana | $85,240 | 2,690 | $96,640 | |
| Wyoming | $85,130 | 500 | $91,840 | |
| Tennessee | $84,640 | 4,570 | $92,130 | |
| South Carolina | $84,340 | 3,160 | $89,960 | |
| Iowa | $84,010 | 2,440 | $95,720 | |
| Michigan | $83,790 | 8,640 | $87,080 | |
| Pennsylvania | $80,610 | 7,970 | $82,620 | |
| Kentucky | $78,830 | 2,070 | $87,430 | |
| West Virginia | $73,840 | 1,250 | $82,510 | |
| Mississippi | $67,280 | 1,140 | $77,380 | |
| Alabama | $61,160 | 3,170 | $68,860 | |
| Kansas | Not published | — | — | |
Best-paying cities
The highest medians cluster on the West Coast, led by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $146,760. Those are also some of the most expensive places to live, which the last column accounts for.
| Metro area | Median | Employed | Cost-adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $146,760 | 3,780 | $126,940 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $139,990 | 1,620 | $126,780 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $136,210 | 310 | $126,370 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $135,990 | 260 | $124,990 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $133,740 | 3,500 | $120,340 |
| Anchorage, AK | $132,740 | 490 | $125,920 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $131,860 | 70 | $127,760 |
| Napa, CA | $131,370 | 100 | $116,720 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $131,040 | 190 | $124,080 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $130,600 | 220 | $118,840 |
Where the most jobs are
| Metro area | Median | Employed | Cost-adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $109,720 | 14,230 | $97,470 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $122,980 | 7,940 | $108,290 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $101,870 | 7,050 | $98,820 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $100,260 | 6,470 | $96,780 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $101,990 | 5,150 | $94,200 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $100,370 | 4,710 | $100,310 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $100,820 | 4,180 | $98,310 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $84,480 | 3,780 | $84,230 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $146,760 | 3,780 | $126,940 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $133,740 | 3,500 | $120,340 |
Pay by type of employer
There is really only one kind of employer here: 95% of hygienists work in dentists' offices, at a median of $98,280. Everything else is a small niche.
| Industry | Median | Employed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offices of Dentists | $98,280 | 211,560 | 95% |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $94,880 | 2,410 | 1% |
| Offices of Physicians | $91,160 | 2,250 | 1% |
| Employment Services | $102,340 | 1,920 | 1% |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $81,940 | 910 | 0% |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $84,020 | 630 | 0% |
What dental hygienists do
- Record and review patient medical histories.
- Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
- Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
- Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
- Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.
Hourly to annual
The BLS turns hourly wages into yearly ones by assuming 2,080 hours: 40 hours a week for 52 weeks. Hygienists often work part time or split the week between practices, so check your own hours.
How you get there
Every state licenses dental hygienists. Programs usually take about three years, even though the usual result is an associate degree, because most require college prerequisites first.
Typical entry-level education: associate's degree. Projected job growth, 2025–35: 8%, about 15,000 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections).
Compare with similar jobs
Questions people ask
How much do dental hygienists make an hour?
The national median was $47.16 an hour in May 2025. Half earned more and half earned less.
Which state pays dental hygienists the most?
District of Columbia had the highest median ($137,220), followed by Alaska ($132,690). Prices are also high in several top-paying places, so a bigger paycheck does not always go further.
Is this what a new graduate will earn?
Not necessarily. The BLS does not publish pay by years of experience. The 10th and 25th percentiles show the lower part of the range, but they include part-time and experienced workers too.
General information, not career or financial advice. Pay depends on hours, location and employer. Confirm licensing rules with your state's board.