If you’re looking for information about dental hygienist salary by state, it’s here. I’ve compiled a complete list from reputable sources that you can use to find your state and get the salary information you’re looking for to see how you fit in.
Introduction
![Dentist checks thickness of tooth enamel using portable x-ray. Young girl with open mouth. White... [+] teeth. Dentist hands closeup. Dental clinic.](data:image/gif,GIF89a%01%00%01%00%80%00%00%00%00%00%FF%FF%FF%21%F9%04%01%00%00%00%00%2C%00%00%00%00%01%00%01%00%00%02%01D%00%3B)
Dentist checks thickness of tooth enamel using portable x-ray. Young girl with open mouth. White… [+]
If you’re looking for a well-paying career in the medical field without becoming a full doctor, then think about being a dental hygienist. The average income of dental hygienists has reached $75,500 as of 2017, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Statistics. Equally important, according to the BLS’s Occupation Outlook Handbook, the future looks bright as dental hygienist employment is projected to increase 20 percent from 2016 to 2016, which is much faster than average.
So, the future prospects for dental hygienists are good. But you can maximize the opportunities presented by this occupation by picking a state that pays dental hygienists best. Check out the full breakdown below of where dental hygienist’s incomes are the lowest, and where their incomes are the highest.
10 States Where Dental Hygienists Earn the Most Money
The average salary of a dental hygienist varies by state, though the patterns that emerge are interesting. The West Coast occupies the top three spots, with Alaska No. 1, California No. 2 and Washington No. 3. Interestingly, No. 4 is New Mexico, a state which has a median household income of just $46,718, the 44th out of 50 states. Maryland rounds out the top five.
Here’s a list of the top-10 states in order of average incomes for dental hygienists:
| Rank | State | 2017 Mean Annual Wage |
| 1 | Alaska | $107,190 |
| 2 | California | $97,420 |
| 3 | Washington | $91,070 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $89,740 |
| 5 | Maryland | $85,890 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $85,500 |
| 7 | Arizona | $85,470 |
| 8 | Nevada | $84,110 |
| 9 | Oregon | $82,850 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $82,290 |
Oregon, which ranks No. 9, has seen an impressive growth in dental hygienist incomes. From 2016 to 2017, dental hygienist salaries grew by 5.2%, from $78,720 to $82,850. Meanwhile, No. 1 Alaska saw a massive boost in dental hygienist incomes from 2015 to 2016, rising by 21.9%, from $84,430 to $102,890.
10 States Where Dental Hygienists Earn the Least Money
The 10 states in which dental hygienists earn the least on average largely reflects where these states lay in terms of their median household incomes. In fact, the average annual wage of a dental hygienist in Alabama is actually less than the state’s median household income of $46,472, which is the fourth lowest in the U.S. Dental hygienists have the worst salaries in Alabama, which is $12,000 less than the second-worst state, West Virginia. In general, the U.S. South has the lowest incomes for dental hygienists.
| Rank | State | 2017 Mean Annual Wage |
| 1 | Alabama | $46,290 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $54,970 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $57,450 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $57,620 |
| 5 | Kentucky | $59,500 |
| 6 | Michigan | $62,370 |
| 7 | Maine | $62,410 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $62,560 |
| 9 | Florida | $63,040 |
| 10 | South Carolina | $64,040 |
Outside of the South, Michigan, Maine and South Dakota stand out. Out of all 50 states, in terms of median household income, these states rank No. 33, No. 31 and No. 29, respectively.
In the last five years, several of these states experienced notable drops in dental hygienist incomes from 2013 to 2014. This set many of these states up for absolute declines since 2013, such as Louisiana, in which dental hygienists earned on average $59,930 in 2013, but only earn $57,450 in 2017.
How Much Dental Hygienists Earn in All 50 States
Moving beyond highest and lowest, here’s a look at average dental hygienist salaries by state.
| State | 2017 Mean Annual Wage |
| Alabama | $46,290 |
| Alaska | $107,190 |
| Arizona | $85,470 |
| Arkansas | $68,580 |
| California | $97,420 |
| Colorado | $81,880 |
| Connecticut | $82,260 |
| Delaware | $77,160 |
| District of Columbia | $80,340 |
| Florida | $63,040 |
| Georgia | $65,500 |
| Hawaii | $76,930 |
| Idaho | $74,490 |
| Illinois | $71,930 |
| Indiana | $67,150 |
| Iowa | $68,700 |
| Kansas | $66,490 |
| Kentucky | $59,500 |
| Louisiana | $57,450 |
| Maine | $62,410 |
| Maryland | $85,890 |
| Massachusetts | $82,290 |
| Michigan | $62,370 |
| Minnesota | $72,850 |
| Mississippi | $57,620 |
| Missouri | $69,980 |
| Montana | $72,850 |
| Nebraska | $64,580 |
| Nevada | $84,110 |
| New Hampshire | $76,180 |
| New Jersey | $85,500 |
| New Mexico | $89,740 |
| New York | $76,870 |
| North Carolina | $69,120 |
| North Dakota | $67,660 |
| Ohio | $67,470 |
| Oklahoma | $71,130 |
| Oregon | $82,850 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,270 |
| Rhode Island | $74,780 |
| South Carolina | $64,040 |
| South Dakota | $62,560 |
| Tennessee | $66,120 |
| Texas | $74,010 |
| Utah | $69,720 |
| Vermont | $68,250 |
| Virginia | $81,300 |
| Washington | $91,070 |
| West Virginia | $54,970 |
| Wisconsin | $64,910 |
| Wyoming | $70,850 |
South Dakota experienced the biggest year-over-year growth in salaries for dental hygienists (8.8%) from 2016 to 2017. Second was South Carolina (7.2%), third was Delaware (6.5%), fourth Oregon (5.2%) and fifth was Arkansas (4.8%).
Conclusion
Dental hygienists are paid on average $67,720 a year—about $30.97 an hour. This is almost $3,000 more than the average annual wage nationwide. The states paying the highest wages in 2015 were California, at $98,170 a year, Hawaii at $91,030, Alaska at $86,360, and New Jersey at $85,910. The lowest-paying states for dental hygienists were Idaho at $48,420 per year or about $23.45 an hour and Alabama at $49,370 annually or about $23.90 hourly.
