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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

29-1292 Dental Hygienists

Administer oral hygiene care to patients. Assess patient oral hygiene problems or needs and maintain health records. Advise patients on oral health maintenance and disease prevention. May provide advanced care such as providing fluoride treatment or administering topical anesthesia.

National estimates for Dental Hygienists
Industry profile for Dental Hygienists
Geographic profile for Dental Hygienists

National estimates for Dental Hygienists:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Dental Hygienists:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
207,190 2.1 % $ 39.12 $ 81,360 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for Dental Hygienists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 28.90 $ 35.36 $ 37.41 $ 47.24 $ 48.18
Annual Wage (2) $ 60,100 $ 73,540 $ 77,810 $ 98,260 $ 100,200

Industry profile for Dental Hygienists:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Dental Hygienists are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Dental Hygienists, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Dental Hygienists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Dentists 196,190 20.20 $ 39.21 $ 81,560
Employment Services 3,040 0.09 $ 40.06 $ 83,330
Offices of Physicians 2,160 0.08 $ 38.32 $ 79,710
Outpatient Care Centers 1,810 0.18 $ 38.91 $ 80,930
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 880 0.04 $ 32.31 $ 67,200

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Dental Hygienists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Dentists 196,190 20.20 $ 39.21 $ 81,560
Outpatient Care Centers 1,810 0.18 $ 38.91 $ 80,930
Employment Services 3,040 0.09 $ 40.06 $ 83,330
Offices of Physicians 2,160 0.08 $ 38.32 $ 79,710
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 360 0.04 $ 38.91 $ 80,930

Top paying industries for Dental Hygienists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (8) (8) $ 40.76 $ 84,770
Facilities Support Services 40 0.02 $ 40.10 $ 83,410
Employment Services 3,040 0.09 $ 40.06 $ 83,330
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 80 0.03 $ 39.67 $ 82,510
Offices of Dentists 196,190 20.20 $ 39.21 $ 81,560

Geographic profile for Dental Hygienists:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Dental Hygienists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Dental Hygienists, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of dental hygienists by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Dental Hygienists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 25,200 1.52 1.04 $ 52.02 $ 108,200
Texas 13,030 1.07 0.72 $ 36.53 $ 75,970
Florida 11,230 1.30 0.89 $ 35.18 $ 73,180
New York 10,020 1.16 0.79 $ 40.19 $ 83,600
Pennsylvania 9,690 1.74 1.18 $ 34.48 $ 71,710


Map of location quotient of dental hygienists by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Dental Hygienists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Idaho 1,880 2.49 1.69 $ 36.08 $ 75,040
Rhode Island 1,120 2.44 1.66 $ 37.09 $ 77,140
Hawaii 1,340 2.43 1.66 $ 39.41 $ 81,970
New Hampshire 1,410 2.22 1.51 $ 39.74 $ 82,660
North Dakota 850 2.15 1.46 $ 33.39 $ 69,440


Map of annual mean wages of dental hygienists by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Dental Hygienists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 510 1.72 1.17 $ 55.53 $ 115,510
California 25,200 1.52 1.04 $ 52.02 $ 108,200
Washington 6,840 2.13 1.45 $ 51.06 $ 106,200
Oregon 3,740 2.05 1.39 $ 45.40 $ 94,420
Nevada 2,030 1.58 1.07 $ 43.01 $ 89,460



Map of employment of dental hygienists by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Dental Hygienists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 10,150 1.78 1.21 $ 50.41 $ 104,840
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 9,570 1.10 0.75 $ 44.00 $ 91,530
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 6,960 1.64 1.12 $ 38.24 $ 79,540
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 4,790 1.80 1.23 $ 39.90 $ 83,000
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 4,440 1.24 0.84 $ 36.37 $ 75,660
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 4,360 1.49 1.01 $ 42.70 $ 88,820
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 4,260 2.22 1.51 $ 53.65 $ 111,600
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 3,980 1.54 1.05 $ 42.15 $ 87,680
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 3,360 1.86 1.27 $ 31.94 $ 66,430
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 3,310 1.82 1.24 $ 39.17 $ 81,470


Map of location quotient of dental hygienists by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Dental Hygienists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pocatello, ID 120 3.45 2.35 $ 32.57 $ 67,740
Danbury, CT 230 3.22 2.19 $ 41.71 $ 86,760
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 1,150 3.07 2.09 $ 45.95 $ 95,570
Flint, MI 380 3.04 2.06 $ 32.38 $ 67,340
Jacksonville, NC 140 3.00 2.04 $ 32.63 $ 67,880
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 270 2.90 1.97 $ 54.99 $ 114,370
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 150 2.85 1.94 $ 39.40 $ 81,950
Wausau, WI 190 2.81 1.91 $ 32.93 $ 68,490
Albany, OR 120 2.70 1.84 $ 41.52 $ 86,360
Bismarck, ND 180 2.61 1.77 $ 34.88 $ 72,550