SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Administer oral hygiene care to patients. Assess patient oral hygiene problems or needs and maintain health records. Advise patients on oral health maintenance and disease prevention. May provide advanced care such as providing fluoride treatment or administering topical anesthesia.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 29-1292.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $74,880 | $6,240 | $1,440 | $36.00 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $83,570 | $6,964 | $1,607 | $40.18 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $98,100 | $8,175 | $1,887 | $47.16 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $108,480 | $9,040 | $2,086 | $52.16 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $126,050 | $10,504 | $2,424 | $60.60 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Dental Hygienists is $98,100, which is 92% higher. Among the 71 occupations of the field Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks number 38 by median pay. With 222,740 jobs, it makes up about 14 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Dental Hygienists pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($137,220), Alaska ($132,690) and Washington ($131,160). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($59,320), Alabama ($61,160) and Guam ($62,970). The most jobs were in California (24,500), Texas (16,380) and New York (13,660). The occupation is most concentrated in Alaska, where its share of all jobs is 1.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 320 | $137,220 | $127,910 | $65.97 |
| Alaska | 790 | $132,690 | $122,560 | $63.79 |
| Washington | 6,330 | $131,160 | $131,530 | $63.06 |
| California | 24,500 | $124,930 | $128,110 | $60.06 |
| Oregon | 3,600 | $122,080 | $120,470 | $58.69 |
| Nevada | 1,510 | $115,290 | $114,360 | $55.43 |
| Colorado | 4,270 | $109,580 | $110,030 | $52.68 |
| Maryland | 3,500 | $107,830 | $109,090 | $51.84 |
| New Jersey | 7,230 | $107,040 | $104,410 | $51.46 |
| New York | 13,660 | $106,130 | $103,640 | $51.03 |
| Minnesota | 4,110 | $103,970 | $103,830 | $49.99 |
| Virginia | 3,770 | $102,950 | $105,120 | $49.50 |
| New Hampshire | 1,360 | $101,250 | $102,640 | $48.68 |
| Arizona | 4,530 | $101,010 | $101,450 | $48.56 |
| Connecticut | 3,240 | $100,690 | $98,720 | $48.41 |
| Massachusetts | 6,850 | $100,640 | $102,160 | $48.39 |
| Texas | 16,380 | $99,240 | $96,240 | $47.71 |
| Delaware | 750 | $98,910 | $100,660 | $47.55 |
| Montana | 860 | $98,440 | $96,730 | $47.33 |
| North Carolina | 6,690 | $97,850 | $93,640 | $47.04 |
| Maine | 1,060 | $97,680 | $96,440 | $46.96 |
| Oklahoma | 2,860 | $97,580 | $98,000 | $46.91 |
| Hawaii | 830 | $97,570 | $93,660 | $46.91 |
| Vermont | 560 | $97,470 | $97,540 | $46.86 |
| Illinois | 8,970 | $96,670 | $91,820 | $46.48 |
| Wisconsin | 5,080 | $96,540 | $94,180 | $46.41 |
| New Mexico | 1,420 | $95,940 | $94,890 | $46.12 |
| Georgia | 7,440 | $95,490 | $91,220 | $45.91 |
| Idaho | 2,060 | $94,650 | $95,500 | $45.51 |
| Missouri | 3,810 | $92,750 | $88,430 | $44.59 |
| Nebraska | 1,280 | $92,580 | $88,990 | $44.51 |
| Indiana | 5,020 | $92,330 | $89,660 | $44.39 |
| South Dakota | 630 | $92,210 | $89,180 | $44.33 |
| Florida | 11,980 | $91,980 | $88,320 | $44.22 |
| Utah | 3,780 | $91,120 | $87,770 | $43.81 |
| North Dakota | 660 | $90,530 | $89,750 | $43.53 |
| Ohio | 8,630 | $88,990 | $89,900 | $42.78 |
| Rhode Island | 770 | $86,910 | $88,660 | $41.78 |
| Arkansas | 1,740 | $86,760 | $85,660 | $41.71 |
| Louisiana | 2,690 | $85,240 | $83,160 | $40.98 |
| Wyoming | 500 | $85,130 | $82,320 | $40.93 |
| Tennessee | 4,570 | $84,640 | $87,420 | $40.69 |
| South Carolina | 3,160 | $84,340 | $84,980 | $40.55 |
| Iowa | 2,440 | $84,010 | $86,640 | $40.39 |
| Michigan | 8,640 | $83,790 | $85,940 | $40.28 |
| Pennsylvania | 7,970 | $80,610 | $84,260 | $38.76 |
| Kentucky | 2,070 | $78,830 | $78,950 | $37.90 |
| West Virginia | 1,250 | $73,840 | $71,290 | $35.50 |
| Mississippi | 1,140 | $67,280 | $68,630 | $32.35 |
| Guam | 40 | $62,970 | $63,410 | $30.27 |
| Alabama | 3,170 | $61,160 | $60,850 | $29.41 |
| Puerto Rico | not published | $59,320 | $61,280 | $28.52 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Nuclear Medicine Technologists$101,370 a year
- Occupational Therapists$100,330 a year
- Genetic Counselors$100,040 a year
- Speech-Language Pathologists$97,870 a year
- Registered Nurses$97,550 a year
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$96,590 a year
Common questions
How much do Dental Hygienists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $98,100 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $74,880 and the highest-paid 10% more than $126,050.
How many people work as Dental Hygienists?
About 222,740 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
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