Healthcare · 69 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Dental Hygienist (2025)

The median Dental Hygienist salary is $146,760 in San Francisco, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Spokane, WA offers the best purchasing power at $119,805 adjusted.

The 69 cities below are ranked by median wage for Dental Hygienist, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Dental Hygienist relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$101,423

National Median

$146,760

Highest City

$61,730

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Francisco, CA	$146,760	$109,460, $156,580	179.6	$81,715	3,780
2	San Jose, CA	$139,990	$128,620, $156,850	195.8	$71,496	1,620
3	Seattle, WA	$133,740	$127,620, $162,850	149.4	$89,518	3,500
4	Anchorage, AK	$132,740	$60,590, $139,940	127	$104,520	490
5	San Diego, CA	$123,790	$108,320, $130,530	160.2	$77,272	1,940
6	Portland, OR	$123,100	$107,650, $147,470	130.1	$94,620	2,380
7	Los Angeles, CA	$122,980	$56,800, $137,310	166	$74,084	7,940
8	Sacramento, CA	$122,540	$119,720, $127,610	124.7	$98,268	2,200
9	Washington, DC	$119,170	$94,290, $132,000	152.8	$77,991	2,200
10	Colorado Springs, CO	$118,410	$101,540, $129,460	104.5	$113,311	500
11	Reno, NV	$117,850	$100,850, $124,390	106.5	$110,657	390
12	Spokane, WA	$116,690	$104,690, $123,790	97.4	$119,805	500
13	Baltimore, MD	$116,130	$102,750, $125,040	114.2	$101,690	1,900
14	Bakersfield, CA	$114,380	$97,090, $121,280	100.6	$113,698	340
15	Denver, CO	$113,760	$100,890, $128,020	112.8	$100,851	2,100
16	Minneapolis, MN	$112,630	$86,000, $122,180	106.2	$106,055	2,590
17	New York, NY	$109,720	$85,460, $126,640	187.2	$58,611	14,230
18	Las Vegas, NV	$109,210	$99,800, $149,740	109	$100,193	950
19	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$105,730	$102,140, $126,940	122.4	$86,381	1,860
20	Austin, TX	$105,480	$58,120, $120,420	103	$102,408	1,270
21	Houston, TX	$104,930	$85,550, $108,590	96.5	$108,736	3,060
22	Richmond, VA	$104,250	$94,870, $119,350	102.1	$102,106	780
23	Bridgeport, CT	$103,390	$62,400, $106,800	137.5	$75,193	850
24	Cincinnati, OH	$102,940	$81,800, $131,490	91.2	$112,873	1,700
25	Phoenix, AZ	$102,520	$96,010, $121,910	100.7	$101,807	3,240
26	Boston, MA	$101,990	$95,860, $117,570	152.1	$67,055	5,150
27	Dallas, TX	$101,870	$50,190, $120,060	104.1	$97,858	7,050
28	Fresno, CA	$101,730	$86,120, $128,970	105.5	$96,427	530
29	Philadelphia, PA	$100,820	$83,590, $103,920	118.4	$85,152	4,180
30	Atlanta, GA	$100,370	$81,140, $114,360	99.2	$101,179	4,710
31	Tulsa, OK	$100,350	$76,580, $122,410	86.8	$115,611	820
32	Madison, WI	$100,340	$83,660, $105,440	103.8	$96,667	680
33	Chicago, IL	$100,260	$74,280, $118,410	107.3	$93,439	6,470
34	Hartford, CT	$98,950	$96,950, $110,340	112.6	$87,877	1,170
35	Raleigh, NC	$98,800	$74,940, $105,730	99.8	$98,998	1,220
36	Milwaukee, WI	$98,780	$52,500, $114,190	97.4	$101,417	1,360
37	San Antonio, TX	$98,480	$83,140, $105,300	91.5	$107,628	920
38	Charlotte, NC	$98,390	$92,120, $103,760	96.7	$101,748	1,910
39	Albany, NY	$98,030	$79,920, $103,990	100.7	$97,349	730
40	St. Louis, MO	$97,650	$78,760, $99,400	90	$108,500	2,150
41	Indianapolis, IN	$97,470	$76,960, $113,950	90.1	$108,180	1,780
42	Oklahoma City, OK	$97,110	$95,770, $120,140	86.5	$112,266	1,420
43	Columbus, OH	$96,880	$81,780, $99,730	93.1	$104,060	1,700
44	Tucson, AZ	$96,740	$85,980, $102,760	95.4	$101,405	490
45	Albuquerque, NM	$95,900	$83,670, $100,770	94	$102,021	810
46	Tampa, FL	$95,870	$79,040, $98,990	99.6	$96,255	1,670
47	Jacksonville, FL	$94,960	$63,860, $98,190	95.1	$99,853	1,110
48	Boise, ID	$94,650	$86,350, $114,400	102.1	$92,703	1,020
49	Salt Lake City, UT	$94,330	$79,440, $99,750	101.4	$93,028	1,390
50	Omaha, NE	$94,170	$75,490, $98,080	91.8	$102,582	580
51	Nashville, TN	$94,030	$80,170, $98,530	100.3	$93,749	1,490
52	Des Moines, IA	$93,660	$74,630, $96,060	93.3	$100,386	750
53	Rochester, NY	$93,650	$80,290, $95,160	92.9	$100,807	940
54	New Orleans, LA	$93,650	$45,840, $98,330	95.9	$97,654	840
55	Kansas City, MO	$92,750	$75,550, $97,260	95.4	$97,222	1,800
56	Orlando, FL	$92,560	$74,880, $95,370	103.1	$89,777	1,490
57	Providence, RI	$89,310	$83,140, $104,280	119.4	$74,799	1,250
58	Little Rock, AR	$89,160	$83,200, $96,230	88.2	$101,088	490
59	Greenville, SC	$85,290	$78,090, $96,850	90.1	$94,661	600
60	Knoxville, TN	$84,640	$81,380, $97,700	90.3	$93,732	590
61	Detroit, MI	$84,480	$78,620, $97,230	95.1	$88,833	3,780
62	Greensboro, NC	$84,250	$43,120, $98,250	91.3	$92,278	390
63	Miami, FL	$82,780	$76,640, $99,040	123.1	$67,246	3,460
64	Buffalo, NY	$82,470	$62,720, $98,540	92.5	$89,157	760
65	Louisville, KY	$81,390	$63,870, $99,250	90.2	$90,233	780
66	Lexington, KY	$80,110	$57,450, $96,790	91.3	$87,744	410
67	Memphis, TN	$78,580	$72,150, $119,720	84	$93,548	650
68	Pittsburgh, PA	$75,960	$63,790, $80,710	92.3	$82,297	1,580
69	Birmingham, AL	$61,730	$56,990, $74,070	90.4	$68,285	1,150

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Dental Hygienist paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Spokane, WA	$119,805	$116,690	97.4
2	Tulsa, OK	$115,611	$100,350	86.8
3	Bakersfield, CA	$113,698	$114,380	100.6
4	Colorado Springs, CO	$113,311	$118,410	104.5
5	Cincinnati, OH	$112,873	$102,940	91.2
6	Oklahoma City, OK	$112,266	$97,110	86.5
7	Reno, NV	$110,657	$117,850	106.5
8	Houston, TX	$108,736	$104,930	96.5
9	St. Louis, MO	$108,500	$97,650	90
10	Indianapolis, IN	$108,180	$97,470	90.1
11	San Antonio, TX	$107,628	$98,480	91.5
12	Minneapolis, MN	$106,055	$112,630	106.2
13	Anchorage, AK	$104,520	$132,740	127
14	Columbus, OH	$104,060	$96,880	93.1
15	Omaha, NE	$102,582	$94,170	91.8
16	Austin, TX	$102,408	$105,480	103
17	Richmond, VA	$102,106	$104,250	102.1
18	Albuquerque, NM	$102,021	$95,900	94
19	Phoenix, AZ	$101,807	$102,520	100.7
20	Charlotte, NC	$101,748	$98,390	96.7
21	Baltimore, MD	$101,690	$116,130	114.2
22	Milwaukee, WI	$101,417	$98,780	97.4
23	Tucson, AZ	$101,405	$96,740	95.4
24	Atlanta, GA	$101,179	$100,370	99.2
25	Little Rock, AR	$101,088	$89,160	88.2
26	Denver, CO	$100,851	$113,760	112.8
27	Rochester, NY	$100,807	$93,650	92.9
28	Des Moines, IA	$100,386	$93,660	93.3
29	Las Vegas, NV	$100,193	$109,210	109
30	Jacksonville, FL	$99,853	$94,960	95.1
31	Raleigh, NC	$98,998	$98,800	99.8
32	Sacramento, CA	$98,268	$122,540	124.7
33	Dallas, TX	$97,858	$101,870	104.1
34	New Orleans, LA	$97,654	$93,650	95.9
35	Albany, NY	$97,349	$98,030	100.7
36	Kansas City, MO	$97,222	$92,750	95.4
37	Madison, WI	$96,667	$100,340	103.8
38	Fresno, CA	$96,427	$101,730	105.5
39	Tampa, FL	$96,255	$95,870	99.6
40	Greenville, SC	$94,661	$85,290	90.1
41	Portland, OR	$94,620	$123,100	130.1
42	Nashville, TN	$93,749	$94,030	100.3
43	Knoxville, TN	$93,732	$84,640	90.3
44	Memphis, TN	$93,548	$78,580	84
45	Chicago, IL	$93,439	$100,260	107.3
46	Salt Lake City, UT	$93,028	$94,330	101.4
47	Boise, ID	$92,703	$94,650	102.1
48	Greensboro, NC	$92,278	$84,250	91.3
49	Louisville, KY	$90,233	$81,390	90.2
50	Orlando, FL	$89,777	$92,560	103.1
51	Seattle, WA	$89,518	$133,740	149.4
52	Buffalo, NY	$89,157	$82,470	92.5
53	Detroit, MI	$88,833	$84,480	95.1
54	Hartford, CT	$87,877	$98,950	112.6
55	Lexington, KY	$87,744	$80,110	91.3
56	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$86,381	$105,730	122.4
57	Philadelphia, PA	$85,152	$100,820	118.4
58	Pittsburgh, PA	$82,297	$75,960	92.3
59	San Francisco, CA	$81,715	$146,760	179.6
60	Washington, DC	$77,991	$119,170	152.8
61	San Diego, CA	$77,272	$123,790	160.2
62	Bridgeport, CT	$75,193	$103,390	137.5
63	Providence, RI	$74,799	$89,310	119.4
64	Los Angeles, CA	$74,084	$122,980	166
65	San Jose, CA	$71,496	$139,990	195.8
66	Birmingham, AL	$68,285	$61,730	90.4
67	Miami, FL	$67,246	$82,780	123.1
68	Boston, MA	$67,055	$101,990	152.1
69	New York, NY	$58,611	$109,720	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

San Francisco, CA pays the highest median Dental Hygienist salary at $146,760. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Spokane, WA offers the most purchasing power at $119,805 adjusted.

The national median Dental Hygienist salary is $101,423 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $61,730 to $146,760 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.