Typical entry: Associate's degree
Dental hygienist
Dental hygienists clean teeth, take X-rays, screen for oral disease, and teach patients to care for their teeth, usually in private dental practices with regular daytime hours.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What a dental hygienist makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$98,100
$47.16 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $83,570
- 75th percentile
- $108,480
- 90th percentile
- $126,050
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- 75%
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +8.0%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 15,000
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
An associate's degree from a CODA-accredited program (two to three years, often with prerequisite science courses), the national board exam, and a state license. Dental assistant experience helps with admission to competitive programs.
The work, as O*NET defines it: Administer oral hygiene care to patients. Assess patient oral hygiene problems or needs and maintain health records. Advise patients on oral health maintenance and disease prevention. May provide advanced care such as providing fluoride treatment or administering topical anesthesia.
The next step
Associate's degree in dental hygiene, national board exam, state license
- Typical cost
- $10,000 to $40,000 depending on the school
- Time to complete
- 2 to 3 years
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for dental hygienists by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $65.97 | $137,220 | $104,470 to $138,710 | 320 |
| Alaska | $63.79 | $132,690 | $130,340 to $136,450 | 790 |
| Washington | $63.06 | $131,160 | $122,000 to $134,670 | 6,330 |
| California | $60.06 | $124,930 | $109,730 to $132,120 | 24,500 |
| Oregon | $58.69 | $122,080 | $109,640 to $126,460 | 3,600 |
| Nevada | $55.43 | $115,290 | $104,330 to $121,730 | 1,510 |
| Colorado | $52.68 | $109,580 | $102,580 to $125,470 | 4,270 |
| Maryland | $51.84 | $107,830 | $103,150 to $120,070 | 3,500 |
| New Jersey | $51.46 | $107,040 | $101,270 to $115,470 | 7,230 |
| New York | $51.03 | $106,130 | $89,960 to $121,740 | 13,660 |
| Minnesota | $49.99 | $103,970 | $99,040 to $116,350 | 4,110 |
| Virginia | $49.50 | $102,950 | $97,630 to $119,690 | 3,770 |
| New Hampshire | $48.68 | $101,250 | $97,820 to $104,260 | 1,360 |
| Arizona | $48.56 | $101,010 | $98,660 to $105,990 | 4,530 |
| Connecticut | $48.41 | $100,690 | $97,630 to $103,380 | 3,240 |
| Massachusetts | $48.39 | $100,640 | $98,150 to $106,220 | 6,850 |
| Texas | $47.71 | $99,240 | $85,280 to $107,320 | 16,380 |
| Delaware | $47.55 | $98,910 | $97,570 to $103,310 | 750 |
| Montana | $47.33 | $98,440 | $94,460 to $100,920 | 860 |
| North Carolina | $47.04 | $97,850 | $84,150 to $100,930 | 6,690 |
| Maine | $46.96 | $97,680 | $88,400 to $102,440 | 1,060 |
| Oklahoma | $46.91 | $97,580 | $95,980 to $103,210 | 2,860 |
| Hawaii | $46.91 | $97,570 | $85,590 to $102,910 | 830 |
| Vermont | $46.86 | $97,470 | $91,210 to $101,230 | 560 |
| Illinois | $46.48 | $96,670 | $79,400 to $101,800 | 8,970 |
| Wisconsin | $46.41 | $96,540 | $83,880 to $100,750 | 5,080 |
| New Mexico | $46.12 | $95,940 | $86,300 to $99,960 | 1,420 |
| Georgia | $45.91 | $95,490 | $81,140 to $101,620 | 7,440 |
| Idaho | $45.51 | $94,650 | $92,820 to $98,410 | 2,060 |
| Missouri | $44.59 | $92,750 | $83,890 to $98,240 | 3,810 |
| Nebraska | $44.51 | $92,580 | $85,140 to $96,210 | 1,280 |
| Indiana | $44.39 | $92,330 | $81,250 to $99,020 | 5,020 |
| South Dakota | $44.33 | $92,210 | $83,230 to $96,230 | 630 |
| Florida | $44.22 | $91,980 | $80,190 to $96,060 | 11,980 |
| Utah | $43.81 | $91,120 | $81,660 to $95,490 | 3,780 |
| North Dakota | $43.53 | $90,530 | $84,020 to $96,170 | 660 |
| Ohio | $42.78 | $88,990 | $80,980 to $97,210 | 8,630 |
| Rhode Island | $41.78 | $86,910 | $84,030 to $91,160 | 770 |
| Arkansas | $41.71 | $86,760 | $82,620 to $93,600 | 1,740 |
| Louisiana | $40.98 | $85,240 | $79,550 to $96,010 | 2,690 |
| Wyoming | $40.93 | $85,130 | $61,360 to $96,890 | 500 |
| Tennessee | $40.69 | $84,640 | $80,380 to $94,240 | 4,570 |
| South Carolina | $40.55 | $84,340 | $79,400 to $94,830 | 3,160 |
| Iowa | $40.39 | $84,010 | $80,950 to $93,880 | 2,440 |
| Michigan | $40.28 | $83,790 | $79,670 to $93,310 | 8,640 |
| Pennsylvania | $38.76 | $80,610 | $75,620 to $99,950 | 7,970 |
| Kentucky | $37.90 | $78,830 | $67,880 to $91,800 | 2,070 |
| West Virginia | $35.50 | $73,840 | $63,420 to $76,260 | 1,250 |
| Mississippi | $32.35 | $67,280 | $63,000 to $74,600 | 1,140 |
| Alabama | $29.41 | $61,160 | $58,800 to $63,410 | 3,170 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be a dental hygienist?
No. BLS lists "associate's degree" as the typical education for entry, and 75% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). The usual credential is associate's degree in dental hygiene, national board exam, state license.
How much does a dental hygienist make?
The median pay was $98,100 a year ($47.16 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $83,570 and $108,480, and the top 10 percent earned more than $126,050.
How long does it take to become a dental hygienist?
2 to 3 years. The typical cost is $10,000 to $40,000 depending on the school.
Is dental hygienist work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 8.0% from 2025 to 2035 with about 15,000 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 29-1292.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile