Dental Hygienists salary
Healthcare · OCC code 29-1292 · gross annual wage · BLS OEWS May 2024
Dental Hygienists in the US earn a median of $94,260 per year (mean $93,890) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey — that is +90.4% versus the $49,500 median for all US jobs, well above the US median wage for all jobs. The middle half earn between $80,060 and $102,920; the top 10% earn $120,060 or more. The median hourly wage is $45.32. About 219,070 are employed nationally. The highest-paying state is Alaska ($129,760). Wages are gross (pre-tax) and vary by employer, experience and location.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Dental Hygienists pay range (national percentiles)
What dental hygienists earn across the pay distribution, nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2024):
| Pay level | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-paid 10%) | $66,470 |
| 25th percentile | $80,060 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $94,260 |
| Mean (average) | $93,890 |
| 75th percentile | $102,920 |
| 90th percentile (highest-paid 10%) | $120,060 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
A dash (—) means BLS did not release that figure; a plus (+) means the wage is at or above the BLS top code of $239,200/yr. See what wage percentiles mean or check where your salary ranks.
Dental Hygienists salary by state
Median and mean wage for dental hygienists in each of the 51 states with published data, highest median first. The national median is $94,260.
| # | State | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $129,760 | $118,010 | 770 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $127,900 | $130,850 | 330 |
| 3 | Washington | $125,370 | $125,090 | 5,140 |
| 4 | California | $121,080 | $127,090 | 22,940 |
| 5 | Oregon | $118,280 | $115,130 | 3,640 |
| 6 | Colorado | $106,730 | $103,960 | 4,470 |
| 7 | Maryland | $105,140 | $104,980 | 3,780 |
| 8 | Nevada | $103,160 | $101,590 | 2,040 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $102,600 | $98,490 | 6,030 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $100,790 | $101,050 | 6,780 |
| 11 | Delaware | $99,720 | $102,530 | 590 |
| 12 | Vermont | $99,490 | $97,370 | 520 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $98,970 | $95,460 | 4,660 |
| 14 | Virginia | $98,880 | $98,500 | 3,580 |
| 15 | Arizona | $97,530 | $96,050 | 5,040 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $96,770 | $94,340 | 1,060 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $96,740 | $94,850 | 1,540 |
| 18 | Illinois | $96,490 | $86,940 | 8,740 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $96,410 | $93,380 | 1,400 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $96,270 | $96,090 | 3,320 |
| 21 | Oklahoma | $95,860 | $93,940 | 2,750 |
| 22 | New York | $95,560 | $93,590 | 10,350 |
| 23 | Montana | $94,740 | $91,380 | 950 |
| 24 | Texas | $94,490 | $89,640 | 16,010 |
| 25 | Indiana | $90,290 | $86,310 | 5,110 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $89,720 | $87,770 | 7,030 |
| 27 | Maine | $88,700 | $88,390 | 1,000 |
| 28 | Idaho | $84,990 | $88,100 | 1,800 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $84,400 | $83,540 | 1,400 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $84,300 | $84,780 | 730 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $83,850 | $85,590 | 5,620 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $83,760 | $85,620 | 1,790 |
| 33 | Georgia | $83,500 | $87,070 | 7,360 |
| 34 | Missouri | $83,270 | $87,170 | 2,840 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $83,010 | $85,150 | 580 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $82,870 | $81,700 | 850 |
| 37 | Iowa | $82,770 | $85,130 | 2,020 |
| 38 | Utah | $82,610 | $84,300 | 3,940 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $82,220 | $81,050 | 480 |
| 40 | Kansas | $82,060 | $82,690 | 2,460 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $81,810 | $83,880 | 4,550 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $81,710 | $81,550 | 3,200 |
| 43 | Ohio | $81,620 | $84,160 | 8,500 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $81,510 | $83,470 | 8,640 |
| 45 | Florida | $81,090 | $83,270 | 13,860 |
| 46 | Michigan | $80,990 | $80,860 | 8,320 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $80,900 | $76,190 | 2,720 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $77,440 | $76,030 | 2,140 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $72,670 | $69,660 | 1,220 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $66,290 | $66,490 | 1,520 |
| 51 | Alabama | $59,840 | $57,690 | 2,840 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Highest median: Alaska ($129,760). Lowest: Alabama ($59,840).
Similar-paying jobs
| Occupation | Median wage | Mean wage | vs US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists (this job) | $94,260 | $93,890 | +90.4% |
| Registered Nurses | $93,600 | $98,430 | +89.1% |
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | $95,830 | $106,850 | +93.6% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $92,430 | $97,030 | +86.7% |
| Architects, Except Landscape and Naval | $96,690 | $103,390 | +95.3% |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | $96,800 | $101,190 | +95.6% |
Registered Nurses · Clinical and Counseling Psychologists · First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers · Architects, Except Landscape and Naval · Network and Computer Systems Administrators
Frequently asked questions
How much do dental hygienists make?
Dental Hygienists earn a national median of $94,260 per year (mean $93,890) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey. The middle half earn between $80,060 (25th percentile) and $102,920 (75th percentile); the top 10% earn $120,060 or more and the bottom 10% earn under $66,470. These are gross, pre-tax wages.
What is the hourly wage for dental hygienists?
The median hourly wage is $45.32 and the mean is $45.14 (BLS OEWS, May 2024). BLS reports some occupations only as annual wages, in which case hourly figures are shown as a dash.
Which state pays dental hygienists the most?
Alaska has the highest median wage for dental hygienists at $129,760, versus a national median of $94,260. State pay reflects local cost of living, demand and industry mix. See the full state table on this page.
How many dental hygienists are there in the US?
BLS estimates about 219,070 dental hygienists are employed in the US (OEWS, May 2024). Among the 124 occupations tracked here, this job ranks #47 of 124 by median pay.
Keep exploring
Sources & accuracy
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 (OCC 29-1292), gross annual wages, U.S. public domain, retrieved June 2026. OEWS figures are survey estimates and reflect pay before tax. Your actual pay depends on employer, experience, certifications, industry and location. This is information, not financial or career advice — see our methodology and disclaimer.
Last updated: 2026-06-20