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The national median salary for Dental Hygienists is $98,093 per year ($47.16/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $83,574 and $108,493 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $126,048 per year. There are approximately 222,740 dental hygienists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+7.0%
Faster than average
Annual openings
15K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
222K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
10% from new growth90% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Associate's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Offices of Dentists
NAICS 621200
212K
$98,280
Outpatient Care Centers
NAICS 621400
2K
$94,880
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
2K
$91,160
Employment Services
NAICS 561300
2K
$102,340
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
910
$81,940
Wage range across top 5 industries: $81,940 to $102,340 (25% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$36.00
$74,880
P25
$40.18
$83,574
P50MEDIAN
$47.16
$98,093
P75
$52.16
$108,493
P90
$60.60
$126,048
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average dental hygienists salary?
The national median salary for Dental Hygienists is $98,093 per year ($47.16/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $83,574 and $108,493 annually.
How much do top-earning dental hygienists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Dental Hygienists is $126,048 per year ($60.60/hr). The 75th percentile is $108,493 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for dental hygienists?
Entry-level Dental Hygienists (10th percentile) earn approximately $74,880 per year ($36.00/hr). The 25th percentile is $83,574 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.