occupation · 29-1292 · detailed
Dental Hygienists — wages and employment
Dental Hygienists earned a median annual wage of $94,260 in the United States in May 2024, with 219,070 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Dental Hygienists earned a median annual wage of $94,260 in the United States in May 2024, with 219,070 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $66,470 or less, the best-paid tenth $120,060 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $87,530 to $94,260, +7.7 %. The best-paying state is Alaska at $129,760; the lowest Guam at $56,770. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $135,010. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 219,070 | $94,260 | $93,890 | $66,470 | $80,060 | $102,920 | $120,060 | $45.32 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 211,630 | $87,530 | $89,890 | $65,110 | $78,010 | $100,630 | $118,400 | $42.08 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $129,760 | 770 |
| District of Columbia | $127,900 | 330 |
| Washington | $125,370 | 5,140 |
| California | $121,080 | 22,940 |
| Oregon | $118,280 | 3,640 |
| Colorado | $106,730 | 4,470 |
| Maryland | $105,140 | 3,780 |
| Nevada | $103,160 | 2,040 |
| New Jersey | $102,600 | 6,030 |
| Massachusetts | $100,790 | 6,780 |
| Delaware | $99,720 | 590 |
| Vermont | $99,490 | 520 |
| Minnesota | $98,970 | 4,660 |
| Virginia | $98,880 | 3,580 |
| Arizona | $97,530 | 5,040 |
| Hawaii | $96,770 | 1,060 |
| New Hampshire | $96,740 | 1,540 |
| Illinois | $96,490 | 8,740 |
| New Mexico | $96,410 | 1,400 |
| Connecticut | $96,270 | 3,320 |
| Oklahoma | $95,860 | 2,750 |
| New York | $95,560 | 10,350 |
| Montana | $94,740 | 950 |
| Texas | $94,490 | 16,010 |
| Indiana | $90,290 | 5,110 |
| North Carolina | $89,720 | 7,030 |
| Maine | $88,700 | 1,000 |
| Idaho | $84,990 | 1,800 |
| Nebraska | $84,400 | 1,400 |
| South Dakota | $84,300 | 730 |
| Wisconsin | $83,850 | 5,620 |
| Arkansas | $83,760 | 1,790 |
| Georgia | $83,500 | 7,360 |
| Missouri | $83,270 | 2,840 |
| North Dakota | $83,010 | 580 |
| Rhode Island | $82,870 | 850 |
| Iowa | $82,770 | 2,020 |
| Utah | $82,610 | 3,940 |
| Wyoming | $82,220 | 480 |
| Kansas | $82,060 | 2,460 |
| Tennessee | $81,810 | 4,550 |
| South Carolina | $81,710 | 3,200 |
| Ohio | $81,620 | 8,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,510 | 8,640 |
| Florida | $81,090 | 13,860 |
| Michigan | $80,990 | 8,320 |
| Louisiana | $80,900 | 2,720 |
| Kentucky | $77,440 | 2,140 |
| West Virginia | $72,670 | 1,220 |
| Mississippi | $66,290 | 1,520 |
| Alabama | $59,840 | 2,840 |
| Guam | $56,770 | 50 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $135,010 | 1,560 |
| Vallejo, CA | $134,450 | 190 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $132,010 | 280 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $131,890 | 2,700 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $131,610 | 320 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $130,110 | 100 |
| Anchorage, AK | $129,780 | 460 |
| Napa, CA | $127,840 | 100 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $127,120 | 170 |
| Boulder, CO | $125,980 | 400 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $124,550 | 350 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $122,740 | 220 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $122,520 | 570 |
| Salinas, CA | $122,050 | 170 |
| Yuba City, CA | $121,670 | 70 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $121,310 | 2,180 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $121,100 | 220 |
| Modesto, CA | $121,010 | 210 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $120,300 | 2,000 |
| Bellingham, WA | $120,030 | 160 |
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