Tooth Helpers: Best Dental Hygienist Salary and Employment in the USA

The best dental hygienist salary depends on close work with dentists and their patients. Dental hygienists clean teeth, take x-rays and instruct patient on good oral hygiene. In some states, they can also administer anesthetics, place and shape fillings, remove sutures and make diagnosis. The job requires a degree from an accredited dental hygiene school and a state license.

© 2012 by Aurelio Locsin.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average dental hygienist salary runs $33.02 per hour or $68,680 per year with 177,520 jobs.

• The lowest earners make $21.64 per hour or $45,000 per year. The highest paid 10 percent receive $45.11 per hour or $93,820 per year.
• This is more than double the mean wages for dental assistants, which is $16.35 per hour or $34,000 per year.
• And it is less than half of the salaries for general dentists, which average $76.33 hourly and $158,770 yearly.

The best employment for dental hygienists varies by workplace:

1. Over 96 percent work in the offices of dentists, where they make a mean $33.16 per hour or $68,980 per year.
2. Less than one percent work in the offices of doctors, where average wages are $30.38 per hour or $63,190 per year.
3. Also under one percent work for employment services, where mean pay is at $31.58 per hour or $65,690 per year.

The best dental hygienist salary is as follows:

1. Dental offices have the best averages at $33.16 per hour or $68,980 per year.
2. Outpatient care centers offer a mean $32.88 per hour or $68,390 per year.
3. Insurance carriers average $31.96 per hour or $66,480 per year.

For states, the employment for dental hygienists follows population.

1. California, the state with the biggest population, has 18,050 positions averaging $43.37 per hour or $90,220 per year.
2. Texas, the second most populous state, shows 10,860 jobs at a mean $32.47 per hour or $67,530 per year.
3. New York, ranking third for population, has 9,710 hygienists earning a mean $32.98 per hour or $68,600 per year.

The best dental hygienist salary runs as follows:

1. Alaska, where a high cost of living raises all salaries in general, has mean wages at $43.62 per hour or $90,740 per year.
2. California shows means at $43.37 per hour or $90,220 per year.
3. Washington has mean pay of $42.22 per hour or $87,810 per year.

Employment for hygienists in cities also follows population, but not in the exact order:

1. The third most populous city, Chicago, shows the most jobs at 5,040, with mean wages of $29.58 per hour or $61,520 per year.
2. The city with the biggest population, New York, has 4,190 positions averaging $38.73 per hour or $80,560 per year.
3. Los Angeles, which ranks second for population, shows 3,300 hygienists earning a mean $41.18 per hour or $85,660 per year.

The best dental hygienist salary for cities ranks as follows:

1. San Francisco, California, shows mean earnings at $50.12 per hour or $104,250 per year.
2. Santa Rosa, California, has averages at $48.80 per hour or $101,510 per year.
3. New Haven, Connecticut, has mean pay at $47.16 per hour or $98,090 per year.

Related to the best dental hygienist salary are the salaries of dentists, which you can find at Tooth Fairies’ Rewards: The Highest Paid Dentists and Dental Specialists in America.