Dental Hygienists Career, Salary and Skills
Dental Hygienists have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $98,100 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 222,740. Wage data is published for 430 locations.
Occupation 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.
O*NET code
29-1292.00
Job zone
3
Typical education
Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$98,100
Hourly median
$47.16
Employment
222,740
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Speaking | 3.50 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Writing | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Monitoring | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Active Learning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.00 | 3.38 |
| Coordination | 3.00 | 3.00 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
Technology
- Dental billing software
- Dental charting software
- Dental clinical records software
- Dental digital radiology software
- Dental imaging software
- Dental intra-oral imaging software
- Dental office management software
- Email software
- Henry Schein Dentrix
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Word
- Open Dental
- Patterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft
Dental Hygienists salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Dental Hygienists Salary in CAMedian $124,930 · Employment 24,500
- Dental Hygienists Salary in TXMedian $99,240 · Employment 16,380
- Dental Hygienists Salary in New York, NYMedian $109,720 · Employment 14,230
- Dental Hygienists Salary in NYMedian $106,130 · Employment 13,660
- Dental Hygienists Salary in FLMedian $91,980 · Employment 11,980
- Dental Hygienists Salary in ILMedian $96,670 · Employment 8,970
- Dental Hygienists Salary in MIMedian $83,790 · Employment 8,640
- Dental Hygienists Salary in OHMedian $88,990 · Employment 8,630
- Dental Hygienists Salary in PAMedian $80,610 · Employment 7,970
- Dental Hygienists Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $122,980 · Employment 7,940
- Dental Hygienists Salary in GAMedian $95,490 · Employment 7,440
- Dental Hygienists Salary in NJMedian $107,040 · Employment 7,230
Related careers
- Emergency Medicine PhysiciansNational median $335,550
- Anesthesiologist AssistantsNational median $135,880
- DermatologistsNational median $328,730
- AnesthesiologistsNational median $391,490
- Nurse PractitionersNational median $132,300
- Nurse AnesthetistsNational median $236,590
- OrthodontistsNational median $289,140
- ProsthodontistsNational median $311,180
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.