CDCareer Decision

Dental Hygienists Salary in DC

In the 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS dataset, Dental Hygienists in DC have a median annual salary of $137,220, with 320 recorded jobs in this area. Recorded earnings range from $86,120 at the 10th percentile to $155,840 at the 90th percentile.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · Data year: 2025 · Last updated: 2026-09-22

Salary overview

Median annual salary

$137,220

Data year: 2025

Hourly median

$65.97

Employment

320

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

Salary distribution

$86,120
10th
$104,470
25th
$137,220
Median
$138,710
75th
$155,840
90th

Local compared with national

DC

$137,220

Median annual · 2025

United States

$98,100

Median annual · 2025

The DC median is 39.9% above the national median in the available dataset (a difference of $39,120).

Top skills

  1. 1.Active ListeningImportance 3.8
  2. 2.SpeakingImportance 3.5
  3. 3.Critical ThinkingImportance 3.5
  4. 4.WritingImportance 3.1
  5. 5.MonitoringImportance 3.1
  6. 6.Social PerceptivenessImportance 3.1
  7. 7.Service OrientationImportance 3.1
  8. 8.Reading ComprehensionImportance 3.0
  9. 9.Active LearningImportance 3.0
  10. 10.CoordinationImportance 3.0
  11. 11.PersuasionImportance 3.0
  12. 12.InstructingImportance 3.0

Career information

Education and experience

Typical education
Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree
Experience
None
Job zone
3

Technology used

  • 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
  • Scheduling software

Common 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.
  • Apply fluorides or other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay.
  • Maintain dental equipment and sharpen and sterilize dental instruments.

Related careers

Occupations recorded as related in the dataset. A relationship does not imply a guaranteed transition.

Dental Hygienists salary in other locations

Other occupations in DC