U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
PRINT:Print
OEWS OEWS Program Links

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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)
194,830 1.4 % $ 37.53 $ 78,050 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for Dental Hygienists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 26.06 $ 31.46 $ 37.06 $ 44.05 $ 50.20
Annual Wage (2) $ 54,200 $ 65,440 $ 77,090 $ 91,620 $ 104,420

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 183,280 21.65 $ 37.65 $ 78,320
Employment Services 2,950 0.09 $ 36.54 $ 76,000
Offices of Physicians 2,410 0.09 $ 37.41 $ 77,810
Outpatient Care Centers 1,640 0.17 $ 37.49 $ 77,980
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 860 0.04 $ 31.72 $ 65,970

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 183,280 21.65 $ 37.65 $ 78,320
Outpatient Care Centers 1,640 0.17 $ 37.49 $ 77,980
Employment Services 2,950 0.09 $ 36.54 $ 76,000
Offices of Physicians 2,410 0.09 $ 37.41 $ 77,810
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 860 0.04 $ 31.72 $ 65,970

Top paying industries for Dental Hygienists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 40 0.01 $ 38.85 $ 80,800
Management of Companies and Enterprises 30 (7) $ 38.69 $ 80,470
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 310 0.03 $ 38.25 $ 79,550
Offices of Dentists 183,280 21.65 $ 37.65 $ 78,320
Outpatient Care Centers 1,640 0.17 $ 37.49 $ 77,980

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.





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 17,880 1.09 0.78 $ 52.87 $ 109,970
Texas 13,230 1.09 0.78 $ 37.31 $ 77,590
Florida 11,830 1.40 1.00 $ 32.63 $ 67,870
New York 9,190 1.06 0.75 $ 36.97 $ 76,890
Ohio 8,690 1.69 1.21 $ 33.11 $ 68,880




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 1,760 2.45 1.75 $ 36.86 $ 76,670
New Hampshire 1,420 2.29 1.64 $ 39.49 $ 82,150
Alaska 610 2.06 1.47 $ 55.31 $ 115,050
Wyoming 530 2.01 1.43 $ 31.87 $ 66,280
Connecticut 3,070 1.99 1.42 $ 41.16 $ 85,610




Top paying states for Dental Hygienists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 610 2.06 1.47 $ 55.31 $ 115,050
California 17,880 1.09 0.78 $ 52.87 $ 109,970
Washington 6,290 1.97 1.41 $ 45.89 $ 95,450
District of Columbia 180 0.26 0.18 $ 45.50 $ 94,650
Nevada 2,430 1.94 1.39 $ 42.96 $ 89,360





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)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 9,860 1.12 0.80 $ 41.91 $ 87,160
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 5,700 1.31 0.93 $ 36.84 $ 76,630
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 4,710 0.81 0.58 $ 52.29 $ 108,770
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 4,260 1.64 1.17 $ 40.87 $ 85,020
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 4,150 1.16 0.83 $ 39.94 $ 83,080
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,780 1.25 0.89 $ 42.97 $ 89,380
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 3,660 1.46 1.04 $ 29.69 $ 61,760
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3,450 1.76 1.26 $ 46.75 $ 97,230
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 3,390 1.29 0.92 $ 33.17 $ 69,000
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,350 1.13 0.81 $ 37.33 $ 77,640




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)
Longview, WA 170 4.59 3.28 $ 48.18 $ 100,210
Coeur d'Alene, ID 220 3.64 2.60 $ 39.44 $ 82,030
Lawrence, KS 150 3.27 2.34 $ 36.31 $ 75,530
Kokomo, IN 110 3.11 2.22 $ 34.89 $ 72,570
Port St. Lucie, FL 420 2.88 2.06 $ 33.43 $ 69,540
Johnson City, TN 210 2.83 2.02 $ 33.44 $ 69,550
Mankato-North Mankato, MN 140 2.80 2.00 $ 36.25 $ 75,400
Twin Falls, ID 130 2.79 1.99 $ 37.22 $ 77,410
Lima, OH 130 2.77 1.98 $ 21.60 $ 44,930
Dover-Durham, NH-ME 140 2.77 1.98 $ 38.05 $ 79,150