Dental Hygenist Salary in the United States

How much does a Dental Hygenist make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Dental Hygenist in the United States is $78,375 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.

However, a Dental Hygenist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $94,857
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $72,697 to $87,002
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $67,527
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View as table View as graph 25% $72,697 10% $67,527 90% $94,857 75% $87,002 $78,375 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Dental Hygenist Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $87,002 $7,250 $1,673 $42
Average $78,375 $6,531 $1,507 $38
25th Percentile $72,697 $6,058 $1,398 $35
Check out Dental Hygenist Job Openings in the United States
Dental Hygenist

Bowen Legacy Dental - Columbus, OH

Chief AI Officer

Confidential - Columbus, OH

Associate Vice President Internal Communications

Confidential - Columbus, OH

Vice President Credit Risk Strategy&Data Science

Confidential - Columbus, OH

Search More Dental Hygenist Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Dental Hygenist Salaries

A Dental Hygenist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Dental Hygenist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Dental Hygenist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here’s how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $75,921
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $76,087
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $78,375
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $81,927
  • Expert (over 8 years): $82,181
Levels Salary
Entry Level Dental Hygenist$75,921
Intermediate Level Dental Hygenist$76,087
Senior Level Dental Hygenist$78,375
Specialist Level Dental Hygenist$81,927
Expert Level Dental Hygenist$82,181
$75,921 0 yr
$76,087 < 2 yrs
$78,375 2-4 yrs
$81,927 5-8 yrs
$82,181 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Dental Hygenists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $98,854
  • San Francisco: $97,772
  • Oakland: $95,711

What Skills Can Increase a Dental Hygenist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 8.72% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • HIPAA (Mentioned in 5.39% Job Postings): The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge.
  • Infection Control (Mentioned in 2.75% Job Postings): Infection control is the discipline concerned with preventing nosocomial or healthcare-associated infection, a practical (rather than academic) sub-discipline of epidemiology. It is an essential, though often underrecognized and undersupported, part of the infrastructure of health care. Infection control and hospital epidemiology are akin to public health practice, practiced within the confines of a particular health-care delivery system rather than directed at society as a whole. Anti-infective agents include antibiotics, antibacterials, antifungals, antivirals and antiprotozoals. Infection control addresses factors related to the spread of infections within the healthcare setting (whether patient-to-patient, from patients to staff and from staff to patients, or among-staff), including prevention (via hand hygiene/hand washing, cleaning/disinfection/sterilization, vaccination, surveillance), monitoring/investigation of demonstrated or suspected spread of infection within a particular health-care setting (surveillance and outbreak investigation), and management (interruption of outbreaks). It is on this basis that the common title being adopted within health care is "infection prevention and control."
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 8.72%
HIPAA 5.39%
Infection Control 2.75%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Dental Hygenist's salary.
  • Supply Chain: Can increase your salary by up to 38%.
  • Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
  • CPR: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Supply Chain
$108,157
38%
Collaboration
$90,131
15%
CPR
$88,563
13%
Self Care
$88,563
13%
Patient Care
$86,996
11%
Dental Care
$86,996
11%
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Dental Hygenist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Dental Hygenist roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare, offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely, Dental Hygenist positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Dental Hygenist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Dental Hygenist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$94,050$45.020%

How Education impacts a Dental Hygenist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Dental Hygenists enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Dental Hygenist with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $79,179 and $84,529).

Dental Hygenist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Dental Hygenist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.2%
High School 6.3%
Associates 61.5%
Bachelors 30.2%
Masters 1.4%
Doctorate 0.3%
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Dental Hygenist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Dental Hygenist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Dental Hygenist

Salaries for a Dental Hygenist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $62,541 in 2023 to around $62,291 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Dental Hygenist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Dental Hygenist Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$62,541
2024
$62,699
2025
$62,291
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $62,541
2024 $62,699
2025 $62,291
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Dental Hygenist

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Dental Hygenist

Here are companies hiring for Dental Hygenist and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Dental Hygenist Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Dental Hygenist job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
  • KreilKamp Trucking

    Columbus, OH

    KreilKamp Trucking | Columbus, OH

    Regional CDL A Drivers | NEW Grads Welcome | Earn $70,000+ Annually. We're proud to be a 4th generation family truck line, started in 1935, but even proude... more

    19 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Vice President, Payments Engineering. About the Company. Globally-recognized provider of corporate payment solutions. Industry. Financial Services. Type. P... more

    21 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Senior Vice President of Project Delivery. About the Company. A multi-billion-dollar construction organization with collaborative, servant-minded leadershi... more

    21 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Chief of Staff. About the Company. Innovative travel platform for booking & managing work trips. Industry. Computer Software. Type. Privately Held, VC-back... more

    21 Days Ago

  • McDonalds

    Columbus, OH

    McDonalds | Columbus, OH

    McDonald’s is seeking Crew Team Members to assist with daily restaurant operations including customer service, food preparation, and maintaining restaurant... more

    28 Days Ago

  • Amazon Flex

    Columbus, OH

    Amazon Flex | Columbus, OH

    Amazon Flex Delivery Drivers use their own vehicle to deliver Amazon packages to customers on scheduled delivery blocks. Drivers are responsible for pickin... more

    28 Days Ago

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FAQ about Dental Hygenist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Dental Hygenist?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Dental Hygenist roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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