State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Dental Hygienist Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Dental Hygienists is $98,100 a year ($47.16/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 7.0% through 2034, with about 15,300 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Associate's degree.
SOC 29-1292Healthcare Practitioners and TechnicalLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $98,100
- Projected growth
- +7.0%
- Openings a year
- 15,300
- Typical education
- Associate's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Dental Hygienist, Hygienist, Licensed Dental Hygienist, Pediatric Dental Hygienist, Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH).
How much do Dental Hygienists make?
10th percentile$74,880
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$83,570
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$98,100
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$108,480
Upper quartile
90th percentile$126,050
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $98,100 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $47.16/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $98,990 |
| People employed | 222,740 |
Versus all US occupations
At $98,100, Dental Hygienists earn 92% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $47,120 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
The median is typical for the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $97,870.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $126,050 or more while the bottom 10% earn $74,880, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 77% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($137,220), but once local prices are taken into account Alaska leads at $129,632 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Dental Hygienists the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $137,220 | $124,858 | 320 |
| Alaska | $132,690 | $129,632 | 790 |
| Washington | $131,160 | $122,565 | 6,330 |
| California | $124,930 | $112,834 | 24,500 |
| Oregon | $122,080 | $118,110 | 3,600 |
| Nevada | $115,290 | $115,314 | 1,510 |
| Colorado | $109,580 | $106,335 | 4,270 |
| Maryland | $107,830 | $102,735 | 3,500 |
| New Jersey | $107,040 | $98,378 | 7,230 |
| New York | $106,130 | $98,340 | 13,660 |
Is Dental Hygienist a growing career?
Dental Hygienists7.0%
All US occupations3.1%
+7.0% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Dental Hygienists to change 7.0% over 2024–2034, roughly 2.3× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 15,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 15,300 openings are projected each year, 6.9% of the 221,600 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Demand for dental services is expected to increase as the older adult population grows and as people keep more of their original teeth than in previous generations.
Studies linking oral health and general health, along with efforts to expand access to oral hygiene services, should continue to drive demand for preventive dental services, including those performed by hygienists. In addition, demand for dental hygienists is expected to grow as state laws increasingly allow dental hygienists to work at the top of their training.
How to become a Dental Hygienist
Dental hygienists typically need an associate’s degree in dental hygiene. Programs usually take 3 years to complete. All states require dental hygienists to be licensed; requirements vary by state.
| Typical entry-level education | Associate's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as dental hygienists.
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)75.2%
- First Professional Degree12.7%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate9.0%
- Bachelor's Degree3.1%
What does a Dental Hygienist do?
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.
Dental hygienists examine patients for signs of oral diseases, such as gingivitis, and provide preventive care, including oral hygiene. They also educate patients about oral health.
Day-to-day tasks
- 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.
- Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
- Attend continuing education courses to maintain or update skills.
- Apply fluorides or other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay.
- Maintain dental equipment and sharpen and sterilize dental instruments.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where dental hygienists work
| Offices of dentists | 94% |
|---|---|
| Offices of physicians | 1% |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 1% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.8/5
- Speaking3.5/5
- Critical Thinking3.5/5
- Writing3.1/5
- Monitoring3.1/5
- Reading Comprehension3.0/5
- Active Learning3.0/5
- Learning Strategies2.8/5
Transferable skills
- Social Perceptiveness3.1/5
- Service Orientation3.1/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Persuasion3.0/5
- Instructing3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.9/5
Tools and software
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Billing and invoicing software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Electronic mail software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Dental Hygienist?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary5.3
Investigativeprimary4.5
Artistic1.1
Socialprimary5.3
Enterprising1.7
Conventional4.3
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Dental Hygienist: frequently asked questions
How much do Dental Hygienists make?
Dental Hygienists earn a median of $98,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 92% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $47.16/hr. The middle half earn between $83,570 and $108,480. The top 10% earn $126,050 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Dental Hygienist?
Usually a two-year degree rather than a four-year one. BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical entry-level education for Dental Hygienists. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 75.2% hold associate's degree (or other 2-year degree).
Is Dental Hygienist a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 7.0% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 15,300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Dental Hygienist do?
Dental hygienists examine patients for signs of oral diseases, such as gingivitis, and provide preventive care, including oral hygiene. A core O*NET task: record and review patient medical histories. Employers most often ask for Medical software, Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Dental Hygienists the most?
The highest state medians for Dental Hygienists are District of Columbia ($137,220), Alaska ($132,690), Washington ($131,160) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Alaska moves to the top at $129,632.
What personality type suits a Dental Hygienist?
O*NET scores Dental Hygienists highest on the Social, Realistic and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISFJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.