Dental hygienists are usually positioned in a dentist’s office. They remove plaque and tartar from patient’s teeth, and assist the dentist in a number of other ways.
Like helping take x-rays, mixing up sealants and fillings, applying fluoride, and offering advice to patients about how they can improve their dental hygiene.
Dental hygienists usually complete some related studies before working in practice, often having earned an associate degree in dental hygiene or a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Having a licence to practice is also a requirement, although the requirements vary slightly depending on the state they are working in.
Interested in finding out more? Click here to learn how to become a dental hygienist.
Dental Hygienist Salary
So, how much do dental hygienists make? Well, the annual median wage is . The median wage is calculated by looking at what half the workers earned more than, and half earned less than. Giving an average dental hygienists salary. 
It’s worth noting that the lowest 10% earns less than $51,930, while the top 10% earns more than $101,820. This is a fairly wide fluctuation, and shows that in the right area and with the right experience, there is potential to earn a high wage as a dental hygienist.
A dental hygienists starting salary can depend on a number of factors, such as age, experience, the State they practice in, etc. But generally speaking they can expect to earn at least $23.65 an hour, which is around $49,190 a year. Taking into account some favourable factors, a hygiene could walk into a job paying up to $101,820. But that really is the best case scenario.
As far as other jobs go, the starting salary of a dental hygiene is decent, considering you can walk into the job and receive training in the position. This is largely because every dentist needs a hygienist, and with there often being more dentists than hygienists, it’s allowed the wage to rise due to supply and demand.
Top 5 Paying States
| Flag | State | Employment per 1000 Jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | California | 0.62 | $45.37 | $94,370 |
 | Washington | 1.38 | $43.93 | $91,370 |
 | Nevada | 1.25 | $42.94 | $89,320 |
 | Arizona | 1.47 | $39.45 | $82,050 |
 | New Jersey | 1.64 | $39.25 | $81,640 |
Top Paying Industries
| Industry | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business – Professional – Labor and Political Organizations | – | $36.01 | $74,910 |
| Offices of Dentists | 21.25 | $34.76 | $72,300 |
| Employment Services | 0.06 | $33.34 | $69,360 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 0.14 | $32.65 | $67,920 |
| Offices of Physicians | 0.08 | $32.42 | $67,440 |
Dental Hygienist Job Description
If you are thinking about becoming a dental hygienist, you will need to know – what do dental hygienists do? They actually cover a wide range of tasks, as well as being on-hand for the dentist should they ask anything of them.
Some of the following is typically always done by a dental hygienist:
• Remove plaque, tartar, and stains from the patient’s teeth.
• Apply fluorides and sealants to help protect teeth.
• Take x-rays and examine the results.
• Keep patient notes up to date regarding dental plans and check-ups
• Educate patients on dental hygiene techniques.
Dental hygienists are required to use a range of tools to carry out their jobs. The check-ups they carry out include cleaning and polishing teeth. To do this they use both manual hand tools, and power tools. The most commonly utilized tool is an air-polishing device, it sprays a combination of air, water, and baking soda. The teeth polishing phase is done with a tool that basically works like an automatic toothbrush.
An important part of the job is communicating to patients about oral health. Sometimes links between diets, lifestyles, and other habits linked to dental health will need to be explained. This requires an element of compassion and the ability to communicate and interpret a situation.
Other tasks vary depending on the state, and the privileges allowed by the dentist. Some hygienists are expected to prepare the filling mixtures, prep the patients for dental work, and carry out some basic routine checks.
A dental hygienists career choice is most popular with young females. It’s something that can be pursued at any stage in life, and is lends towards people have good communication skills, are compassionate, and are comfortable performing physical tasks.
Dental Hygienist Job Outlook
Employment has been projected to grow 20% between 2016 to 2026. This is much faster than the average for all occupations. Dental treatments, along with other health related treatments are expected to spur in demand in the future. This is largely because of the ongoing research being undertaken on new procedures.
As dentists expand their practice they hire more hygienists, this is necessary if the dentist wants to scale up their patient database. In addition to this there has been large baby-boom phases, along with an ever increasing aging population. All pointing towards a rise in demand for dental procedures.
Federal health legislation in the US will increase the number of people eligible for health insurance. People who receive new insurance cover are more likely to visit a dentist than they would have previously, and most likely have some overdue work needing to be carried out. Taking into account all of these factors, the outlook for dental hygienists is positive. All of these factors equate to an increase in dental work, and as a result an increase in hygienists work.
Dental Hygienist Salary by State
| Flag | State | Employment per 1000 Jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Alabama | 1.384 | $21.19 | $44,070 |
 | Alaska | 1.666 | $36.38 | $75,670 |
| Arizona | 1.361 | $39.45 | $82,050 |
 | Arkansas | 1.16 | $29.84 | $62,060 |
| California | 1.382 | $45.37 | $94,370 |
 | Colorado | 1.725 | $37.75 | $78,530 |
 | Connecticut | 2.419 | $38.54 | $80,170 |
 | Delaware | 1.674 | $33.97 | $70,660 |
 | Florida | 1.395 | $30.48 | $63,400 |
 | Georgia | 1.298 | $30.63 | $63,710 |
 | Hawaii | 1.656 | $33.44 | $69,560 |
 | Idaho | 2.004 | $34.13 | $70,980 |
 | Illinois | 1.313 | $32.88 | $68,390 |
 | Indiana | 1.697 | $31.30 | $65,100 |
 | Iowa | 1.522 | $32.36 | $67,320 |
 | Kansas | 1.307 | $33.48 | $69,640 |
 | Kentucky | 1.128 | $27.64 | $57,490 |
 | Louisiana | 1.025 | $28.03 | $58,290 |
 | Maine | 1.892 | $31.51 | $65,540 |
 | Maryland | 1.173 | $39.20 | $81,540 |
 | Massachusetts | 1.846 | $38.75 | $80,590 |
 | Michigan | 2.312 | $28.61 | $59,520 |
 | Minnesota | 1.664 | $33.84 | $70,390 |
 | Mississippi | 0.903 | $25.63 | $53,310 |
 | Missouri | 1.172 | $32.58 | $67,760 |
 | Montana | 1.601 | $32.98 | $68,590 |
 | Nebraska | 1.369 | $30.79 | $64,030 |
| Nevada | 1.114 | $42.94 | $89,320 |
 | New Hampshire | 1.853 | $38.06 | $79,170 |
| New Jersey | 1.644 | $39.25 | $81,640 |
 | New Mexico | 1.387 | $36.34 | $75,600 |
 | New York | 1.131 | $33.23 | $69,120 |
 | North Carolina | 1.375 | $31.98 | $66,510 |
 | North Dakota | 1.373 | $30.30 | $63,030 |
 | Ohio | 1.474 | $31.69 | $65,920 |
 | Oklahoma | 1.103 | $31.20 | $64,900 |
 | Oregon | 2.337 | $36.98 | $76,920 |
 | Pennsylvania | 1.621 | $29.58 | $61,530 |
 | Rhode Island | 2.212 | $33.94 | $70,590 |
 | South Carolina | 1.408 | $26.17 | $54,430 |
 | South Dakota | 1.414 | $27.83 | $57,880 |
 | Tennessee | 1.359 | $30.95 | $64,380 |
 | Texas | 1.193 | $34.60 | $71,980 |
 | Utah | 1.892 | $32.99 | $68,610 |
 | Vermont | 1.951 | $29.88 | $62,160 |
 | Virginia | 1.176 | $38.16 | $79,380 |
| Washington | 1.996 | $43.93 | $91,370 |
 | West Virginia | 1.507 | $26.29 | $54,680 |
 | Wisconsin | 1.811 | $30.02 | $62,450 |
 | Wyoming | 1.624 | $32.67 | $67,950 |
Top paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Employment per 1000 jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco / San Mateo Redwood City – CA – Metropolitan Division | 1.30 | $53.55 | $111,380 |
| Vallejo / Fairfield – CA | 1.70 | $49.88 | $103,750 |
| Sacramento / Arden-Arcade / Roseville – CA | 2.33 | $48.73 | $101,360 |
| Corvallis, OR | 1.74 | $48.01 | $99,870 |
| Mount Vernon / Anacortes, – WA | 3.29 | $47.36 | $98,510 |
Top paying non-metropolitan areas
| Area | Employment per 1000 jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western – Central Nevada, nonmetropolitan area | 1.91 | $48.22 | $100,290 |
| Northwestern Washington – nonmetropolitan area | 2.75 | $48.06 | $99,960 |
| Southwestern Washington – nonmetropolitan area | 1.89 | $47.41 | $98,620 |
| Central Washington – nonmetropolitan area | 1.43 | $45.80 | $95,260 |
| North – West – Central New Mexico – nonmetropolitan area | 0.91 | $44.67 | $92,920 |
