In this article we look at dental hygienist salary in a little more detail. Here we also look at two things additionally:

- Factors affecting dental hygienist salary.
- Regional variations in dental hygienist wages.

Dental hygienist – job profile and prospects

Who would not like to have that perfect set of teeth? This will be possible only by maintaining good dental hygiene and getting the teeth checked regularly. Poor oral hygiene will, in addition to causing irreparable damage to the teeth, also negatively affect the general health of a person. A dental hygienist is the right person to guide one about the right way to practice oral hygiene.

As per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), dental hygienists are one of the fastest growing occupations in the country. Dental hygienists earn decent salaries. They also enjoy comfortable working conditions.
A dental hygienist is trained to impart the clinical procedures of maintaining oral health and providing preventive dental care advice to patients. They work alongside dentists and offer them assistance when required. Many dentists work part-time and have flexible work schedules.

Factors affecting salaries of dental hygienists

Salaries of dental hygienists depend on qualification, experience, clinical skills, geographic area, work location, etc. Dental hygienists with higher educational qualifications like a four year bachelor degree is likely to earn more than someone with a two year associate degree.

Dental hygienists are paid salaries, commissions and bonuses. As per BLS data, the annual average salary of a dental hygienist is $68,250. However, dental hygienists who are just starting their careers will have to excel through hard work and dedication to earn higher salaries. A good starting salary for a dental hygienist after acquiring a degree and a license is around $35,000 a year.

Dental hygienists work mostly in dentists’ and physicians’ offices. Employment services, outpatient care centers and hospitals are the other places that employ dental hygienists. Out of these, the dentists’ offices are the ones which pay the highest annual mean salary of $68,980 for dental hygienists. The outpatient care centers come second with annual mean salary of $68,390.

The best paying U.S. states for dental hygienists

The following table lists the best paying states in the U.S for dental hygienists as per BLS data.

The maximum number of dental hygienists work in the state of California (18,050), followed by Texas (10,860), New York (9,710), Florida (9,320) and Michigan (8,570).

Other benefits received by dental hygienists

According to a survey conducted by the American Dental Hygienist Association, about half of all dental hygienists reported receiving benefit packages from their employers which included sick leave, paid vacation, insurance coverage, retirement plans, etc. Some employers also offer free or discounted dental care for employees and family. Some employers also provide tuition assistance for higher education and training.

Dental care is an important factor for oral health. Awareness of dental care and hygiene is growing and due to this, the demand for dental hygienists will be on the rise, along with their salaries. Keeping up with the latest procedures and innovations in the industry will set one up for better earning opportunities.