Dental Hygienists: Job Description
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.
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What Do Dental Hygienists Perform?
Typical responsibilities of dental hygienists span:
- Record and review patient medical histories.
- Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
- Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
- Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
- Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.
- Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
- Expose and develop x-ray film.
- Attend continuing education courses to maintain or update skills.
What Dental Hygienists Need to Know
Top dental hygienists draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Dental Hygienist
- Dental Nurse
- Dental Treatment Coordinator
- Hygienist
- Licensed Dental Hygienist
- Oral Hygienist
- Pediatric Dental Hygienist
- Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH)
Employment and Demand
There are about 3,471,633 dental hygienists working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to decline by -4.9% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Dental Hygienists
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $101,356 |
| Hourly median | $48.73 |
| 10th percentile | $57,324 |
| 25th percentile | $79,340 |
| 75th percentile | $123,372 |
| 90th percentile | $145,388 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $129,760 |
| District of Columbia | $127,900 |
| Washington | $125,370 |
| California | $121,080 |
| Oregon | $118,280 |
| Colorado | $106,730 |
| Maryland | $105,140 |
| Nevada | $103,160 |
| New Jersey | $102,600 |
| Massachusetts | $100,790 |
| Delaware | $99,720 |
| Vermont | $99,490 |
| Minnesota | $98,970 |
| Virginia | $98,880 |
| Arizona | $97,530 |
| Hawaii | $96,770 |
| New Hampshire | $96,740 |
| Illinois | $96,490 |
| New Mexico | $96,410 |
| Connecticut | $96,270 |
| Oklahoma | $95,860 |
| New York | $95,560 |
| Montana | $94,740 |
| Texas | $94,490 |
| Indiana | $90,290 |
| North Carolina | $89,720 |
| Maine | $88,700 |
| Idaho | $84,990 |
| Nebraska | $84,400 |
| South Dakota | $84,300 |
| Wisconsin | $83,850 |
| Arkansas | $83,760 |
| Georgia | $83,500 |
| Missouri | $83,270 |
| North Dakota | $83,010 |
| Rhode Island | $82,870 |
| Iowa | $82,770 |
| Utah | $82,610 |
| Wyoming | $82,220 |
| Kansas | $82,060 |
| Tennessee | $81,810 |
| South Carolina | $81,710 |
| Ohio | $81,620 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,510 |
| Florida | $81,090 |
| Michigan | $80,990 |
| Louisiana | $80,900 |
| Kentucky | $77,440 |
| West Virginia | $72,670 |
| Mississippi | $66,290 |
| Alabama | $59,840 |
| Guam | $56,770 |
Where Dental Hygienists Earn the Most
Earnings for dental hygienists shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $119,849 | 16.3% | 0.98 |
| New England | $97,275 | 6.4% | 1.33 |
| Southwest | $95,354 | 11.5% | 0.93 |
| Middle Atlantic | $94,563 | 13.6% | 0.91 |
| Rocky Mountains | $93,214 | 5.3% | 1.36 |
| Plains States | $88,127 | 6.7% | 1.00 |
| Great Lakes | $86,622 | 16.6% | 1.17 |
| Southeast | $82,068 | 23.7% | 0.97 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Dental Hygienists
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $135,010 | 1,560 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $134,450 | 190 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $132,010 | 280 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $131,890 | 2,700 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $131,610 | 320 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | AK | $130,110 | 100 |
| Anchorage, AK | AK | $129,780 | 460 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $127,840 | 100 |
Top Industries Employing Dental Hygienists
The largest employers of dental hygienists are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 213,180 | $94,370 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2,810 | $98,460 |
| Educational Services | 760 | $79,950 |
| Finance and Insurance | 70 | $108,960 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 40 | $93,770 |
| Manufacturing | 30 | $89,640 |
Below are examples of industries where dental hygienists work:
Tools and Technology
- Medical software: Henry Schein Dentrix (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of dental hygienists is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Contact With Others
Education and Training
Entry-level dental hygienists positions require an associate’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Dentists, General (Supplemental)
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (Supplemental)
- Orthodontists (Supplemental)
- Prosthodontists (Supplemental)
- Anesthesiologist Assistants (Supplemental)
- Respiratory Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Registered Nurses (Primary-Long)
- Acute Care Nurses (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for dental hygienists often complete programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-1292.00 (Dental Hygienists).
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