Average Dental Hygienist Salary Range

The average dental hygiene salary was $32.81 per hour, according to a 2009 Bureau of Labor Statistic’s report. This works out to a yearly median wage of $68,250 based on 40 hours per week. Around half of dental hygienist earned between $26.89 and $39.10. Ten percent of the technicians in the report earned less than $21.64 an hour and another ten percent earned more than $45.11 an hour.

Dental Hygienist Salary By State

Dental hygiene salary will depend on the state in which the hygienist works. States that have strict qualification requirements for dental hygienists often pay higher wages than states that have very little education requirements. Below is the highest dental hygiene salary by state:

• Alaska – $43.62
• California – $43.37
• Washington – $42.22
• District of Columbia – $41.50
• Nevada – $40.35
• Texas – $32.47
• New York – $32.98
• Florida – $28.05
• Michigan – $28.46

Dental Hygiene Salary By Industry

Dental hygienist salary depends a lot on the type of industry the hygienist is hired in. Hygienists may be hired by private offices, outpatient care centers, insurance carriers, health practitioner offices and employment services. The following hourly wages were earned in each industry in 2009:

• Offices of Dentists – $33.16
• Outpatient Care Centers – $32.88
• Offices of Other Health Practitioners – $31.86
• Offices of Physicians – $30.38
• Employment Services – $31.58

In addition to their dental hygienist salary, hygienists will receive other benefits such as health insurance, sick pay, pension plans and employer-sponsored benefits such as uniforms and tools.

Resources:
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes292021.htm