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Dental Hygienists Salary by State
There were an estimated 219,070 dental hygienists working in the United States in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey. The typical (median) dental hygienist earned $94,260 a year, or $45.32 an hour, while the mean annual wage was $93,890. Pay spans a wide range even inside the same occupation: the lowest-paid 10% of dental hygienists earned $66,470 or less, the bottom quarter earned $80,060 or less, the top quarter earned at least $102,920, and the top 10% earned at least $120,060. Where a dental hygienist works matters almost as much as the job itself, as the state table below shows.
Where dental hygienists earn the most — and least
The highest median pay for dental hygienists is in Alaska, at $129,760 a year — 37.7% higher than the national median of $94,260. Next are District of Columbia at $127,900 and Washington at $125,370. At the other end, Alabama posts the lowest published median, $59,840, which is 36.5% lower than the national figure. That is a top-to-bottom spread of about 2.2 times between the highest- and lowest-paying states for the same occupation — a gap driven by local labor markets, licensing, employer mix, and cost of living rather than by differences in the job title itself.
Where the dental hygienist jobs are
Employment is concentrated in a handful of large states. California alone employs 22,940 dental hygienists, and the three largest states — California, Texas, and Florida — together account for 24% of all U.S. jobs in this occupation. Pay in the largest market, California, runs at a median of $121,080, 28.5% higher than the national median, so the biggest job market is also one of the better-paying ones. Smaller states can still be attractive: several low-population states post medians close to the national figure with far less competition for each opening.
Dental Hygienist salary by state — full table
Median and mean annual wages for dental hygienists in every state where BLS publishes an estimate for May 2024, ranked by median pay. The 90th-percentile column shows what the top-earning tenth of dental hygienists in each state make. Follow a state link for that state's full wage tables, or open a detailed guide where one is available.
| State | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 770 | $62.39 | $129,760 | $118,010 | $135,400 |
| District of Columbia | 330 | $61.49 | $127,900 | $130,850 | $151,010 |
| Washington | 5,140 | $60.27 | $125,370 | $125,090 | $159,470 |
| California | 22,940 | $58.21 | $121,080 | $127,090 | $137,460 |
| Oregon | 3,640 | $56.87 | $118,280 | $115,130 | $127,770 |
| Colorado | 4,470 | $51.31 | $106,730 | $103,960 | $126,000 |
| Maryland | 3,780 | $50.55 | $105,140 | $104,980 | $119,110 |
| Nevada | 2,040 | $49.60 | $103,160 | $101,590 | $123,090 |
| New Jersey | 6,030 | $49.33 | $102,600 | $98,490 | $105,480 |
| Massachusetts | 6,780 | $48.46 | $100,790 | $101,050 | $107,560 |
| Delaware | 590 | $47.94 | $99,720 | $102,530 | $123,980 |
| Vermont | 520 | $47.83 | $99,490 | $97,370 | $114,680 |
| Minnesota | 4,660 | $47.58 | $98,970 | $95,460 | $105,490 |
| Virginia | 3,580 | $47.54 | $98,880 | $98,500 | $121,950 |
| Arizona | 5,040 | $46.89 | $97,530 | $96,050 | $102,170 |
| Hawaii | 1,060 | $46.52 | $96,770 | $94,340 | $101,560 |
| New Hampshire | 1,540 | $46.51 | $96,740 | $94,850 | $102,190 |
| Illinois | 8,740 | $46.39 | $96,490 | $86,940 | $99,660 |
| New Mexico | 1,400 | $46.35 | $96,410 | $93,380 | $103,000 |
| Connecticut | 3,320 | $46.28 | $96,270 | $96,090 | $106,140 |
| Oklahoma | 2,750 | $46.09 | $95,860 | $93,940 | $101,490 |
| New York | 10,350 | $45.94 | $95,560 | $93,590 | $122,130 |
| Montana | 950 | $45.55 | $94,740 | $91,380 | $101,410 |
| Texas | 16,010 | $45.43 | $94,490 | $89,640 | $110,560 |
| Indiana | 5,110 | $43.41 | $90,290 | $86,310 | $101,470 |
| North Carolina | 7,030 | $43.14 | $89,720 | $87,770 | $99,570 |
| Maine | 1,000 | $42.65 | $88,700 | $88,390 | $100,580 |
| Idaho | 1,800 | $40.86 | $84,990 | $88,100 | $98,910 |
| Nebraska | 1,400 | $40.58 | $84,400 | $83,540 | $94,820 |
| South Dakota | 730 | $40.53 | $84,300 | $84,780 | $93,980 |
| Wisconsin | 5,620 | $40.31 | $83,850 | $85,590 | $102,150 |
| Arkansas | 1,790 | $40.27 | $83,760 | $85,620 | $101,250 |
| Georgia | 7,360 | $40.15 | $83,500 | $87,070 | $103,750 |
| Missouri | 2,840 | $40.03 | $83,270 | $87,170 | $102,390 |
| North Dakota | 580 | $39.91 | $83,010 | $85,150 | $94,910 |
| Rhode Island | 850 | $39.84 | $82,870 | $81,700 | $86,380 |
| Iowa | 2,020 | $39.79 | $82,770 | $85,130 | $94,140 |
| Utah | 3,940 | $39.72 | $82,610 | $84,300 | $97,370 |
| Wyoming | 480 | $39.53 | $82,220 | $81,050 | $94,750 |
| Kansas | 2,460 | $39.45 | $82,060 | $82,690 | $97,000 |
| Tennessee | 4,550 | $39.33 | $81,810 | $83,880 | $97,460 |
| South Carolina | 3,200 | $39.29 | $81,710 | $81,550 | $94,810 |
| Ohio | 8,500 | $39.24 | $81,620 | $84,160 | $99,490 |
| Pennsylvania | 8,640 | $39.19 | $81,510 | $83,470 | $102,030 |
| Florida | 13,860 | $38.99 | $81,090 | $83,270 | $97,080 |
| Michigan | 8,320 | $38.94 | $80,990 | $80,860 | $91,400 |
| Louisiana | 2,720 | $38.90 | $80,900 | $76,190 | $99,230 |
| Kentucky | 2,140 | $37.23 | $77,440 | $76,030 | $95,680 |
| West Virginia | 1,220 | $34.94 | $72,670 | $69,660 | $83,830 |
| Mississippi | 1,520 | $31.87 | $66,290 | $66,490 | $79,320 |
| Alabama | 2,840 | $28.77 | $59,840 | $57,690 | $68,640 |
Dental Hygienist wages in U.S. territories
| Area | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guam | 50 | $27.29 | $56,770 | $60,730 | $99,000 |
How to read these numbers
The median is the middle wage: half of dental hygienists earn more and half earn less. The mean is pulled up by the highest earners, which is why the mean of $93,890 sits below the median of $94,260 for this occupation. OEWS wages are gross pay before taxes and benefits, and BLS converts hourly rates to annual figures on a 2,080-hour, year-round full-time basis; part-time and seasonal workers' actual annual earnings can be lower. Figures marked with a plus sign are at or above the BLS reporting cap of $239,200 a year ($115.00 an hour).
Dental Hygienist salary FAQ
What is the average dental hygienist salary?
BLS put the mean annual wage for dental hygienists at $93,890 in May 2024, with a median of $94,260 ($45.32 an hour) across 219,070 U.S. jobs.
Which state pays dental hygienists the most?
Alaska has the highest median pay for dental hygienists, at $129,760 a year in May 2024 — 37.7% higher than the national median of $94,260.
Which state pays dental hygienists the least?
Among states where BLS publishes an estimate, Alabama has the lowest median for dental hygienists, at $59,840 a year, 36.5% lower than the national median.
How many dental hygienists are there in the United States?
BLS estimated 219,070 dental hygienists jobs in May 2024. The largest state market is California, with 22,940 jobs.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.