What Is the Pay for a Dental Hygienist?
Dental hygienists assist dentists by cleaning patients' teeth, taking X-rays and educating patients about preventative dental hygiene practices. Dental hygienists complete at least a two-year dental hygiene program that results in an associate's degree before securing employment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that job opportunities for dental hygienists will increase by 36 percent from 2008 through 2018, and that approximately 174,100 dental hygienist professionals worked in the United States as of May 2009.
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National Average
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Dental hygienists working in the United States earned an average annual salary of $67,860 and an average annual hourly wage of $32.63 as of May 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dental hygiene professionals earned a median annual salary of $67,340 and a median hourly wage of $32.38 as of May 2009.
Highest-Paying States
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States that paid the highest wages for dental hygienists include Alaska, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Dental hygienists working in these states earned salaries ranging from $77,520 to $96,280, with hourly wages ranging from $37.27 to $46.29 as of May 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas
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Metropolitan areas that paid the highest wages for dental hygienists include the Chico, San Francisco and Santa Rosa areas in California, the Anchorage area in Alaska and the Bremerton area in Washington. Dental hygienists working in these metropolitan areas earned salaries ranging from $96,730 to $112,290 and hourly wages ranging from $46.51 to $53.99 as of May 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Highest Job Concentration States
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States that had the highest job concentration of dental hygienists include Idaho, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire and Vermont. Dental hygienists employed in these states earned salaries ranging from $59,640 to $73,870, with hourly wages ranging from $28.67 to $35.52 as of May 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Highest Job Concentration Metropolitan Areas
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Metropolitan areas that had the highest job concentration of dental hygienists include the Danbury area in Connecticut, the Barnstable Town area in Massachusetts, the Flint area in Michigan, the Corvallis area in Oregon and the Bremerton area in Washington. Dental hygienists employed in these metropolitan areas earned salaries ranging from $52,460 to $97,400, with hourly wages ranging from $25.22 to $46.83 as of May 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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References
- Photo Credit toothbrush image by Adkok from Fotolia.com
