How Much Do Dental Hygienists Make an Hour? Hygienist Pay Calculator
BLS dental hygienist pay by percentile and state, part-time and multi-office schedules, and take-home after 2026 tax
By the Monthly Income Booster editorial team · Updated · How we research and fact-check
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How Much Do Dental Hygienists Make an Hour? Hygienist Pay Calculator
Printed 2026-10-27 from billorganizingapp.com/income/calculators/dental-hygienist-hourly-pay/ — an estimate for planning, not financial or tax advice.
United States dental hygienists: median $47.16/hr, 10th–90th percentile $36.00–$60.60 (BLS OEWS May 2025). Your rate is in the between the median and the 75th percentile.
Estimate for 2026: federal income tax (standard deduction), Social Security and Medicare, a flat state rate you enter, and the overtime deduction on the half-time premium when your overtime is legally required. No credits or itemised deductions. Starting wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, which excludes overtime and shift differentials.
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Dental hygienists earned a median of $47.16 an hour in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' count of 222,740. BLS also quotes $98,100 a year, but that assumes 2,080 hours, and many hygienists work part time, so the hourly rate is the number to compare. The bottom tenth earned under $36.00 and the top tenth over $60.60.
Dental hygienists: pay at every level
This is the BLS line for dental hygienists (SOC 29-1292) on employers' payrolls; dental assistants are a separate, lower-paid occupation. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36.00 | $74,880 | $6,240 | $61,508 |
| 25th percentile | $40.18 | $83,570 | $6,964 | $67,621 |
| Median | $47.16 | $98,100 | $8,175 | $77,843 |
| 75th percentile | $52.16 | $108,480 | $9,040 | $85,146 |
| 90th percentile | $60.60 | $126,050 | $10,504 | $97,421 |
Dental hygienist pay by state
Hygienists in Washington, D.C. ($65.97), Alaska ($63.79) and Washington state ($63.06) earn more than twice Alabama's $29.41, the lowest. California, with the most hygienists, pays $60.06.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $65.97 | $137,220 | 320 |
| Alaska | $63.79 | $132,690 | 790 |
| Washington | $63.06 | $131,160 | 6,330 |
| California | $60.06 | $124,930 | 24,500 |
| Oregon | $58.69 | $122,080 | 3,600 |
| Nevada | $55.43 | $115,290 | 1,510 |
| Colorado | $52.68 | $109,580 | 4,270 |
| Maryland | $51.84 | $107,830 | 3,500 |
| New Jersey | $51.46 | $107,040 | 7,230 |
| New York | $51.03 | $106,130 | 13,660 |
| Minnesota | $49.99 | $103,970 | 4,110 |
| Virginia | $49.50 | $102,950 | 3,770 |
| New Hampshire | $48.68 | $101,250 | 1,360 |
| Arizona | $48.56 | $101,010 | 4,530 |
| Connecticut | $48.41 | $100,690 | 3,240 |
| Massachusetts | $48.39 | $100,640 | 6,850 |
| Texas | $47.71 | $99,240 | 16,380 |
| Delaware | $47.55 | $98,910 | 750 |
| Montana | $47.33 | $98,440 | 860 |
| North Carolina | $47.04 | $97,850 | 6,690 |
| Maine | $46.96 | $97,680 | 1,060 |
| Hawaii | $46.91 | $97,570 | 830 |
| Oklahoma | $46.91 | $97,580 | 2,860 |
| Vermont | $46.86 | $97,470 | 560 |
| Illinois | $46.48 | $96,670 | 8,970 |
| Wisconsin | $46.41 | $96,540 | 5,080 |
| New Mexico | $46.12 | $95,940 | 1,420 |
| Georgia | $45.91 | $95,490 | 7,440 |
| Idaho | $45.51 | $94,650 | 2,060 |
| Missouri | $44.59 | $92,750 | 3,810 |
| Nebraska | $44.51 | $92,580 | 1,280 |
| Indiana | $44.39 | $92,330 | 5,020 |
| South Dakota | $44.33 | $92,210 | 630 |
| Florida | $44.22 | $91,980 | 11,980 |
| Utah | $43.81 | $91,120 | 3,780 |
| North Dakota | $43.53 | $90,530 | 660 |
| Ohio | $42.78 | $88,990 | 8,630 |
| Rhode Island | $41.78 | $86,910 | 770 |
| Arkansas | $41.71 | $86,760 | 1,740 |
| Louisiana | $40.98 | $85,240 | 2,690 |
| Wyoming | $40.93 | $85,130 | 500 |
| Tennessee | $40.69 | $84,640 | 4,570 |
| South Carolina | $40.55 | $84,340 | 3,160 |
| Iowa | $40.39 | $84,010 | 2,440 |
| Michigan | $40.28 | $83,790 | 8,640 |
| Pennsylvania | $38.76 | $80,610 | 7,970 |
| Kentucky | $37.90 | $78,830 | 2,070 |
| West Virginia | $35.50 | $73,840 | 1,250 |
| Mississippi | $32.35 | $67,280 | 1,140 |
| Alabama | $29.41 | $61,160 | 3,170 |
Which employers pay dental hygienists most
Dentists' offices employ 94% of hygienists (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook), at a median of $98,280. Physicians' offices pay $91,160 and government clinics $80,830.
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Offices of dentists | $98,280 |
| Offices of physicians | $91,160 |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | $80,830 |
A dental hygienist's schedule
Many dental hygienists work part time: dentists may hire a hygienist for only a few days a week, so some work for more than one dentist (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). That makes the annual figure misleading for many hygienists — BLS's annual wage is the hourly rate times 2,080 hours. Set your real weekly hours in the calculator to see what the hourly rate means for your year.
Overtime for dental hygienists
Hourly hygienists are non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act and owed time and a half after 40 hours a week with one employer (U.S. Department of Labor). Part-time hygienists working a few days a week at one practice rarely reach that line.
Training, licenses and pay
Hygienists usually need an associate's degree in dental hygiene from a program that typically takes 3 years, and every state requires a license — generally the accredited degree plus written and clinical exams, with continuing education to keep it; many jobs also require CPR certification (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Hygienists in research, teaching and public health usually need a bachelor's or master's.
Related tools and guides
More ways to work with your dental hygienist pay:
Official sources
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS May 2025: Dental Hygienists (29-1292) wage estimates
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Dental Hygienists
- U.S. Department of Labor: Overtime pay
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS FAQ: how wages are defined (overtime and shift differentials excluded)
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<a href="https://billorganizingapp.com/income/calculators/dental-hygienist-hourly-pay/">How Much Do Dental Hygienists Make an Hour? Hygienist Pay Calculator</a> by Monthly Income BoosterFrequently Asked Questions
How much do dental hygienists make an hour?+
$47.16 an hour ($98,100 a year) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $40.18 to $52.16 an hour.
Which state pays dental hygienists the most?+
District of Columbia ($65.97 an hour, $137,220 a year), then Alaska and Washington; Alabama pays least among the 50 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
How much do part-time dental hygienists make?+
Multiply the hourly rate by the hours you actually work. At the BLS median, three 8-hour days a week for 50 weeks is shown in the worked example on this page; enter your own days in the calculator.
Do dental hygienists get overtime?+
Hourly hygienists are non-exempt under the FLSA and owed time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek with their employer (U.S. Department of Labor). Many hygienists work part time, so they rarely reach it.
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