Dental Hygienists Salary 2025: $101,423 Median Pay (BLS OEWS)
- Official U.S. BLS OEWS data (May 2025)
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- Not self-reported estimates
$101,423 per year is the national median annual wage for dental hygienists (BLS OEWS, May 2025 reference period). That works out to about $49/hour, with a 10th–90th percentile range of $109,460 to $156,580. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies this role under SOC code 29-1292.
Key Facts (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- Median annual wage
- $101,423
- Median hourly wage
- $49/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $104,258
- Total US employment
- 136,530
- Top-paying metro
- San Francisco, CA, CA ($146,760)
- BLS SOC code
- 29-1292
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.
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The national median wage for dental hygienists (BLS SOC 29-1292) is $101,423 per year — about $49/hour — across 136,530 workers in 69 U.S. metros in the BLS OEWS May 2025 release. The mean wage of $104,258 sits above the median, which means a minority of high earners pulls the average up — the median is the more honest benchmark for a typical offer.
Experience drives the range as much as anything: the 10th percentile earns $83,088 while the 90th earns $118,514 — a 1.4× gap from entry-level to the top of the field. Most dental hygienists land in the $91,898–$111,814 band (25th–75th percentile), which is the right anchor when you size up an offer.
Location matters too. San Francisco, CA, CA posts the highest median at $146,760, versus $61,730 in Birmingham, AL, AL — a 138% gap. But adjusted for cost of living, Spokane, WA delivers the strongest real purchasing power ($119,805 in national-average dollars), which can flip the nominal ranking for anyone weighing a move.
In Healthcare, dental hygienist wages reflect a regulated labor market: state licensing and credentialing constrain supply, so pay holds up more evenly across regions than in unregulated fields. The figures here are base wage and exclude shift differentials and overtime.
Dental Hygienists Salary by Experience Level (2025)
BLS OEWS doesn’t publish wages by years of experience, but its national percentile bands map cleanly to career stages. Here’s what dental hygienists earn from entry-level to the top of the field.
| Career stage | Typical experience | BLS percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | 0–2 years | 10th | $83,088 |
| Junior / early-career | 2–5 years | 25th | $91,898 |
| Mid-career | 5–10 years | 50th (median) | $105,114 |
| Senior | 10–15 years | 75th | $111,814 |
| Top earners | 15+ years | 90th | $118,514 |
Experience bands are SalaryTruth’s interpretation of BLS OEWS percentiles, not a separate BLS series. Actual pay varies by employer, specialization, and region.
Salary Range (BLS Percentiles)
Dental Hygienists salaries range from $61,730 to $146,760 median across cities, depending on location, experience, and industry.
Dental Hygienists Salary by City (BLS OEWS)
| City | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $109,460 | $124,380 | $146,760 | $151,670 | $156,580 | $81,715 | 3,780 |
| San Jose, CA | $128,620 | $133,168 | $139,990 | $148,420 | $156,850 | $71,496 | 1,620 |
| Seattle, WA | $127,620 | $130,068 | $133,740 | $148,295 | $162,850 | $89,518 | 3,500 |
| Anchorage, AK | $60,590 | $89,450 | $132,740 | $136,340 | $139,940 | $104,520 | 490 |
| San Diego, CA | $108,320 | $114,508 | $123,790 | $127,160 | $130,530 | $77,272 | 1,940 |
| Portland, OR | $107,650 | $113,830 | $123,100 | $135,285 | $147,470 | $94,620 | 2,380 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $56,800 | $83,272 | $122,980 | $130,145 | $137,310 | $74,084 | 7,940 |
| Sacramento, CA | $119,720 | $120,848 | $122,540 | $125,075 | $127,610 | $98,268 | 2,200 |
| Washington, DC | $94,290 | $104,242 | $119,170 | $125,585 | $132,000 | $77,991 | 2,200 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $101,540 | $108,288 | $118,410 | $123,935 | $129,460 | $113,311 | 500 |
| Reno, NV | $100,850 | $107,650 | $117,850 | $121,120 | $124,390 | $110,657 | 390 |
| Spokane, WA | $104,690 | $109,490 | $116,690 | $120,240 | $123,790 | $119,805 | 500 |
| Baltimore, MD | $102,750 | $108,102 | $116,130 | $120,585 | $125,040 | $101,690 | 1,900 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $97,090 | $104,006 | $114,380 | $117,830 | $121,280 | $113,698 | 340 |
| Denver, CO | $100,890 | $106,038 | $113,760 | $120,890 | $128,020 | $100,851 | 2,100 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $86,000 | $96,652 | $112,630 | $117,405 | $122,180 | $106,055 | 2,590 |
| New York, NY | $85,460 | $95,164 | $109,720 | $118,180 | $126,640 | $58,611 | 14,230 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $99,800 | $103,564 | $109,210 | $129,475 | $149,740 | $100,193 | 950 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $102,140 | $103,576 | $105,730 | $116,335 | $126,940 | $86,381 | 1,860 |
| Austin, TX | $58,120 | $77,064 | $105,480 | $112,950 | $120,420 | $102,408 | 1,270 |
| Houston, TX | $85,550 | $93,302 | $104,930 | $106,760 | $108,590 | $108,736 | 3,060 |
| Richmond, VA | $94,870 | $98,622 | $104,250 | $111,800 | $119,350 | $102,106 | 780 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $62,400 | $78,796 | $103,390 | $105,095 | $106,800 | $75,193 | 850 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $81,800 | $90,256 | $102,940 | $117,215 | $131,490 | $112,873 | 1,700 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $96,010 | $98,614 | $102,520 | $112,215 | $121,910 | $101,807 | 3,240 |
| Boston, MA | $95,860 | $98,312 | $101,990 | $109,780 | $117,570 | $67,055 | 5,150 |
| Dallas, TX | $50,190 | $70,862 | $101,870 | $110,965 | $120,060 | $97,858 | 7,050 |
| Fresno, CA | $86,120 | $92,364 | $101,730 | $115,350 | $128,970 | $96,427 | 530 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $83,590 | $90,482 | $100,820 | $102,370 | $103,920 | $85,152 | 4,180 |
| Atlanta, GA | $81,140 | $88,832 | $100,370 | $107,365 | $114,360 | $101,179 | 4,710 |
| Tulsa, OK | $76,580 | $86,088 | $100,350 | $111,380 | $122,410 | $115,611 | 820 |
| Madison, WI | $83,660 | $90,332 | $100,340 | $102,890 | $105,440 | $96,667 | 680 |
| Chicago, IL | $74,280 | $84,672 | $100,260 | $109,335 | $118,410 | $93,439 | 6,470 |
| Hartford, CT | $96,950 | $97,750 | $98,950 | $104,645 | $110,340 | $87,877 | 1,170 |
| Raleigh, NC | $74,940 | $84,484 | $98,800 | $102,265 | $105,730 | $98,998 | 1,220 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $52,500 | $71,012 | $98,780 | $106,485 | $114,190 | $101,417 | 1,360 |
| San Antonio, TX | $83,140 | $89,276 | $98,480 | $101,890 | $105,300 | $107,628 | 920 |
| Charlotte, NC | $92,120 | $94,628 | $98,390 | $101,075 | $103,760 | $101,748 | 1,910 |
| Albany, NY | $79,920 | $87,164 | $98,030 | $101,010 | $103,990 | $97,349 | 730 |
| St. Louis, MO | $78,760 | $86,316 | $97,650 | $98,525 | $99,400 | $108,500 | 2,150 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $76,960 | $85,164 | $97,470 | $105,710 | $113,950 | $108,180 | 1,780 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $95,770 | $96,306 | $97,110 | $108,625 | $120,140 | $112,266 | 1,420 |
| Columbus, OH | $81,780 | $87,820 | $96,880 | $98,305 | $99,730 | $104,060 | 1,700 |
| Tucson, AZ | $85,980 | $90,284 | $96,740 | $99,750 | $102,760 | $101,405 | 490 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $83,670 | $88,562 | $95,900 | $98,335 | $100,770 | $102,021 | 810 |
| Tampa, FL | $79,040 | $85,772 | $95,870 | $97,430 | $98,990 | $96,255 | 1,670 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $63,860 | $76,300 | $94,960 | $96,575 | $98,190 | $99,853 | 1,110 |
| Boise, ID | $86,350 | $89,670 | $94,650 | $104,525 | $114,400 | $92,703 | 1,020 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $79,440 | $85,396 | $94,330 | $97,040 | $99,750 | $93,028 | 1,390 |
| Omaha, NE | $75,490 | $82,962 | $94,170 | $96,125 | $98,080 | $102,582 | 580 |
| Nashville, TN | $80,170 | $85,714 | $94,030 | $96,280 | $98,530 | $93,749 | 1,490 |
| Des Moines, IA | $74,630 | $82,242 | $93,660 | $94,860 | $96,060 | $100,386 | 750 |
| Rochester, NY | $80,290 | $85,634 | $93,650 | $94,405 | $95,160 | $100,807 | 940 |
| New Orleans, LA | $45,840 | $64,964 | $93,650 | $95,990 | $98,330 | $97,654 | 840 |
| Kansas City, MO | $75,550 | $82,430 | $92,750 | $95,005 | $97,260 | $97,222 | 1,800 |
| Orlando, FL | $74,880 | $81,952 | $92,560 | $93,965 | $95,370 | $89,777 | 1,490 |
| Providence, RI | $83,140 | $85,608 | $89,310 | $96,795 | $104,280 | $74,799 | 1,250 |
| Little Rock, AR | $83,200 | $85,584 | $89,160 | $92,695 | $96,230 | $101,088 | 490 |
| Greenville, SC | $78,090 | $80,970 | $85,290 | $91,070 | $96,850 | $94,661 | 600 |
| Knoxville, TN | $81,380 | $82,684 | $84,640 | $91,170 | $97,700 | $93,732 | 590 |
| Detroit, MI | $78,620 | $80,964 | $84,480 | $90,855 | $97,230 | $88,833 | 3,780 |
| Greensboro, NC | $43,120 | $59,572 | $84,250 | $91,250 | $98,250 | $92,278 | 390 |
| Miami, FL | $76,640 | $79,096 | $82,780 | $90,910 | $99,040 | $67,246 | 3,460 |
| Buffalo, NY | $62,720 | $70,620 | $82,470 | $90,505 | $98,540 | $89,157 | 760 |
| Louisville, KY | $63,870 | $70,878 | $81,390 | $90,320 | $99,250 | $90,233 | 780 |
| Lexington, KY | $57,450 | $66,514 | $80,110 | $88,450 | $96,790 | $87,744 | 410 |
| Memphis, TN | $72,150 | $74,722 | $78,580 | $99,150 | $119,720 | $93,548 | 650 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $63,790 | $68,658 | $75,960 | $78,335 | $80,710 | $82,297 | 1,580 |
| Birmingham, AL | $56,990 | $58,886 | $61,730 | $67,900 | $74,070 | $68,285 | 1,150 |
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Dental Hygienist & H-1B Prevailing Wage
Sponsoring or filing an H-1B, PERM, or E-3 case? See the DOL prevailing-wage levels (1–4) for Dental Hygienist, including the 2026 proposed increase.
Dental Hygienist prevailing wage in San Francisco, CA →Frequently Asked Questions
The national median salary for Dental Hygienist is $101,423 as of 2025 (BLS OEWS). The national mean (average) is $104,258. Salaries range from $61,730 to $146,760 median depending on city and cost of living.
Entry-level dental hygienists (10th percentile) earn about $83,088 per year nationally. Pay rises with experience to a median of $101,423, $111,814 at the 75th percentile, and $118,514 for the top 10% of earners.
The median dental hygienist earns about $49/hour, based on the $101,423 annual median over a standard 2,080-hour work year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
San Francisco, CA, CA posts the highest median for Dental Hygienist at $146,760, well above the national median of $101,423. Cost of living matters, though — see the COL-adjusted column in the city table above, which can reorder the rankings.
There are approximately 136,530 Dental Hygienist positions in the US across 69 metropolitan areas tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey.
The 90th percentile dental hygienist earns $118,514 — about 1.4× the $83,088 entry-level wage. A spread that wide signals real income growth potential with experience, specialization, and location.
No. BLS OEWS reports base wages only — bonuses, commissions, overtime, and equity are excluded. For roles where variable pay is common, total compensation runs above the figures shown here.
Salary data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. COL adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.