Pay by state / Dental hygienists
SOC 29-1292 · BLS OEWS May 2025 · 50 states published
Dental hygienists: salary by state
The 222,740 dental hygienists in the US earned a mean of $98,990 a year in May 2025 (median $98,100); the lowest-paid tenth earned under $74,880 and the highest-paid tenth over $126,050. By state, the mean ran from $60,850 in Alabama to $131,530 in Washington.
- 1US mean wage $98,990
- 2Highest: Washington $131,530
- 3Lowest: Alabama $60,850
- 4Employed nationally 222,740
Where the jobs are
Relative to all jobs, dental hygienists are most concentrated in Alaska (2.434 per 1,000 jobs) and least in District of Columbia (0.45). Hygienists outnumber general dentists nearly two to one nationally; most practices employ more than one.
| State | Employed | Per 1,000 jobs | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3,170 | 1.497 | $60,850 | $61,160 |
| Alaska | 790 | 2.434 | $122,560 | $132,690 |
| Arizona | 4,530 | 1.398 | $101,450 | $101,010 |
| Arkansas | 1,740 | 1.332 | $85,660 | $86,760 |
| California | 24,500 | 1.345 | $128,110 | $124,930 |
| Colorado | 4,270 | 1.486 | $110,030 | $109,580 |
| Connecticut | 3,240 | 1.911 | $98,720 | $100,690 |
| Delaware | 750 | 1.555 | $100,660 | $98,910 |
| District of Columbia | 320 | 0.45 | $127,910 | $137,220 |
| Florida | 11,980 | 1.207 | $88,320 | $91,980 |
| Georgia | 7,440 | 1.522 | $91,220 | $95,490 |
| Hawaii | 830 | 1.318 | $93,660 | $97,570 |
| Idaho | 2,060 | 2.4 | $95,500 | $94,650 |
| Illinois | 8,970 | 1.471 | $91,820 | $96,670 |
| Indiana | 5,020 | 1.567 | $89,660 | $92,330 |
| Iowa | 2,440 | 1.565 | $86,640 | $84,010 |
| Kentucky | 2,070 | 1.036 | $78,950 | $78,830 |
| Louisiana | 2,690 | 1.389 | $83,160 | $85,240 |
| Maine | 1,060 | 1.657 | $96,440 | $97,680 |
| Maryland | 3,500 | 1.267 | $109,090 | $107,830 |
| Massachusetts | 6,850 | 1.883 | $102,160 | $100,640 |
| Michigan | 8,640 | 1.963 | $85,940 | $83,790 |
| Minnesota | 4,110 | 1.393 | $103,830 | $103,970 |
| Mississippi | 1,140 | 0.977 | $68,630 | $67,280 |
| Missouri | 3,810 | 1.297 | $88,430 | $92,750 |
| Montana | 860 | 1.678 | $96,730 | $98,440 |
| Nebraska | 1,280 | 1.254 | $88,990 | $92,580 |
| Nevada | 1,510 | 0.971 | $114,360 | $115,290 |
| New Hampshire | 1,360 | 1.993 | $102,640 | $101,250 |
| New Jersey | 7,230 | 1.686 | $104,410 | $107,040 |
| New Mexico | 1,420 | 1.632 | $94,890 | $95,940 |
| New York | 13,660 | 1.41 | $103,640 | $106,130 |
| North Carolina | 6,690 | 1.354 | $93,640 | $97,850 |
| North Dakota | 660 | 1.547 | $89,750 | $90,530 |
| Ohio | 8,630 | 1.554 | $89,900 | $88,990 |
| Oklahoma | 2,860 | 1.674 | $98,000 | $97,580 |
| Oregon | 3,600 | 1.831 | $120,470 | $122,080 |
| Pennsylvania | 7,970 | 1.314 | $84,260 | $80,610 |
| Rhode Island | 770 | 1.528 | $88,660 | $86,910 |
| South Carolina | 3,160 | 1.369 | $84,980 | $84,340 |
| South Dakota | 630 | 1.382 | $89,180 | $92,210 |
| Tennessee | 4,570 | 1.395 | $87,420 | $84,640 |
| Texas | 16,380 | 1.164 | $96,240 | $99,240 |
| Utah | 3,780 | 2.178 | $87,770 | $91,120 |
| Vermont | 560 | 1.832 | $97,540 | $97,470 |
| Virginia | 3,770 | 0.917 | $105,120 | $102,950 |
| Washington | 6,330 | 1.782 | $131,530 | $131,160 |
| West Virginia | 1,250 | 1.784 | $71,290 | $73,840 |
| Wisconsin | 5,080 | 1.727 | $94,180 | $96,540 |
| Wyoming | 500 | 1.78 | $82,320 | $85,130 |
“–” = not published by BLS for that state (too few to estimate or confidential); “top-coded” = above the highest wage BLS publishes.
What it means for patients
Staff pay is one of the largest costs in a dental or orthodontic practice, alongside rent and equipment, so treatment fees tend to be higher where wages are. It is a tendency, not a rule: two practices in the same town can quote very differently. Use these figures for context and the calculator for your actual quote.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state and national files). Checked 2026-10-24. Methodology.