Which state pays dental hygienists the most?

District of Columbia, at a median of $137,220. After adjusting for prices, Alaska is highest, at $129,632 in US-average prices.

What education do dental hygienists need?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists associate's degree as the typical education to start. The federal crosswalk from fields of study to jobs links 3 programs here to dental hygienists: Dental Hygiene and Assisting (Bachelor's), Dental Hygiene and Assisting (Associate's), and Dental Hygiene and Assisting (Certificate).

Dental Hygienists: Pay by State and the Programs That Lead There

222,740 jobs in the US
Typical education to start: associate's degree
Occupation code 29-1292

BLS wages May 2025 · BLS projections 2025 to 2035 · BEA price parities 2024

The short answer

Dental hygienists earn a median of $98,100 a year in the US, across all experience levels. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($137,220) and lowest in Puerto Rico ($59,320). After adjusting for prices, Alaska is highest ($129,632) and Alabama lowest ($68,856). Jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 15,000 openings a year across the US.

Median pay$98,100US, all experience levels

Bottom 10% earn under$74,880US

Top 10% earn over$126,050US

Projected job growth8%2025 to 2035, about 15,000 openings a year

Pay for dental hygienists by state

Median pay across all experience levels. "After prices" divides it by the state's price level (US average = 100), so states can be compared by what the pay buys.

#	State	Median pay	After prices	Jobs	Bottom 10%	Top 10%
1	District of Columbia	$137,220	$124,858	320	$86,120	$155,840
2	Alaska	$132,690	$129,632	790	$60,590	$138,840
3	Washington	$131,160	$122,565	6,330	$107,090	$162,050
4	California	$124,930	$112,834	24,500	$102,090	$151,920
5	Oregon	$122,080	$118,110	3,600	$104,530	$134,120
6	Nevada	$115,290	$115,314	1,510	$99,800	$129,460
7	Colorado	$109,580	$106,335	4,270	$95,680	$128,900
8	Maryland	$107,830	$102,735	3,500	$85,440	$122,740
9	New Jersey	$107,040	$98,378	7,230	$94,260	$117,730
10	New York	$106,130	$98,340	13,660	$77,680	$126,640
11	Minnesota	$103,970	$105,424	4,110	$82,110	$120,270
12	Virginia	$102,950	$101,826	3,770	$86,730	$125,560
13	New Hampshire	$101,250	$97,202	1,360	$86,400	$122,980
14	Arizona	$101,010	$100,331	4,530	$91,480	$121,910
15	Connecticut	$100,690	$97,182	3,240	$87,190	$106,020
16	Massachusetts	$100,640	$95,162	6,850	$93,510	$117,380
17	Texas	$99,240	$102,249	16,380	$71,530	$117,890
18	Delaware	$98,910	$99,100	750	$93,580	$112,940
19	Montana	$98,440	$104,010	860	$83,060	$104,780
20	North Carolina	$97,850	$103,736	6,690	$77,270	$103,850
21	Maine	$97,680	$100,649	1,060	$83,420	$108,680
22	Oklahoma	$97,580	$111,085	2,860	$81,290	$119,760
23	Hawaii	$97,570	$88,740	830	$78,800	$104,000
24	Vermont	$97,470	$99,502	560	$81,010	$110,010
25	Illinois	$96,670	$96,711	8,970	$74,280	$118,410
26	Wisconsin	$96,540	$102,598	5,080	$80,370	$110,240
27	New Mexico	$95,940	$104,043	1,420	$82,180	$105,440
28	Georgia	$95,490	$99,166	7,440	$74,610	$103,650
29	Idaho	$94,650	$99,116	2,060	$85,610	$103,340
30	Missouri	$92,750	$102,128	3,810	$59,880	$99,400
31	Nebraska	$92,580	$102,749	1,280	$67,600	$98,080
32	Indiana	$92,330	$98,930	5,020	$74,970	$102,280
33	South Dakota	$92,210	$104,091	630	$73,480	$98,290
34	Florida	$91,980	$88,943	11,980	$75,960	$99,040
35	Utah	$91,120	$92,167	3,780	$78,830	$99,570
36	North Dakota	$90,530	$101,766	660	$82,890	$98,530
37	Ohio	$88,990	$95,921	8,630	$76,260	$102,950
38	Rhode Island	$86,910	$84,973	770	$83,800	$100,520
39	Arkansas	$86,760	$99,796	1,740	$62,170	$97,730
40	Louisiana	$85,240	$96,636	2,690	$49,900	$98,330
41	Wyoming	$85,130	$91,843	500	$61,020	$99,350
42	Tennessee	$84,640	$92,130	4,570	$76,190	$98,300
43	South Carolina	$84,340	$89,964	3,160	$65,700	$97,220
44	Iowa	$84,010	$95,725	2,440	$78,320	$95,810
45	Michigan	$83,790	$87,084	8,640	$77,230	$96,970
46	Pennsylvania	$80,610	$82,616	7,970	$63,130	$103,540
47	Kentucky	$78,830	$87,434	2,070	$61,280	$98,770
48	West Virginia	$73,840	$82,506	1,250	$59,950	$83,430
49	Mississippi	$67,280	$77,375	1,140	$58,810	$83,320
50	Alabama	$61,160	$68,856	3,170	$48,960	$72,410
51	Puerto Rico	$59,320	Not available	Not reported	$32,170	$79,330

State names link to the state's college page. Puerto Rico has no BEA price level, so its pay is not adjusted. BLS publishes no median pay for dental hygienists in Kansas.

Programs that lead to this job

The federal crosswalk from fields of study to jobs links these programs to dental hygienists. Figures are medians across each program type's US programs. Program names link to the national ranking.

Program	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
Dental Hygiene and Assisting (Bachelor's)	71	$60,153	$25,000
Dental Hygiene and Assisting (Associate's)	180	$54,567	$18,589
Dental Hygiene and Assisting (Certificate)	198	$26,487	$9,500

Program figures are first-year pay for new graduates. The job's median pay covers every experience level.

Common questions

Dental hygienists earn a median of $98,100 a year in the US, across all experience levels (May 2025). The bottom 10% earn less than $74,880, and the top 10% more than $126,050.

About this data

Pay is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025. It covers all experience levels and all industries, and leaves out self-employed workers.
Projections are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections for 2025 to 2035, for the whole US.
Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.
Program figures are College Scorecard medians across programs, and only include students who received federal financial aid.

Sources

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study files, June 2026 release