Career Summary for Dental Hygiene

Dental hygienists work along side dentists to improve and maintain the oral health of their patients. The hygienist focuses primarily on the removal of both soft and hard deposits, including stains and plaque, from the surfaces of the teeth. Dental hygienists educate their patients in the practice of good oral hygiene. Further, they perform routine dental screenings, such as dental x-rays, as well as documenting potential problems for additional attention by the dentist.

All states require dental hygienists to be licensed in the state in which they practice. Licensing involves the completion, in all states but Alabama, of an accredited educational program, and, the successful completion of the written exam. There is also a clinical exam component that the candidate must pass. The majority of dental hygiene educational programs grant an associate's degree. Some, however, grant certificates, bachelor's or master's degrees, which are typically not required to work in private practice. Entrance to a program requires a high school diploma and usually college entrance test scores.

Employment for dental hygienists is projected to be excellent for years into the future. It is, in fact, one of the fastest growing occupations because of the increasing demand for dental services.

Dental Hygienist: Jobs, Careers, and Schools

Metro Area Employment Data for Dental Hygienist

Employment info for Dental Hygienist, by major US metro area (2006 data). The Popularity Index shows how common jobs for Dental Hygienist are in the area. An Index of 1.0 means the area has an average number of people in the job compared to its population. A higher index indicates proportionally more jobs.

StateMetro AreaJobsMean SalaryPopularity Index
AlabamaAuburn80$37,0701.71
AlabamaBirmingham740$44,0201.17
AlabamaDecatur130$36,2002.18
AlabamaDothan140$37,7502.22
AlabamaFlorence130$29,8502.34
AlabamaGadsden90$35,2702.78
AlabamaHuntsville320$40,0601.34
AlabamaMobile290$33,3301.41
AlabamaMontgomery150$40,4700.75
AlabamaTuscaloosa110$38,9801.22
AlaskaAnchorage210$79,9701.09
ArizonaFlagstaff90$71,8901.62
ArizonaPhoenix1,940$68,7300.82
ArizonaPrescott170$72,1502.44
ArizonaTucson700$69,5801.57
ArkansasFayetteville200$50,0700.94
ArkansasFort Smith130$57,7800.92
ArkansasHot Springs40$51,8701.06
ArkansasJonesboro60$54,9101.15
ArkansasLittle Rock240$45,6800.59
CaliforniaBakersfield180$78,5000.56
CaliforniaLos Angeles6,760$72,6201.29
CaliforniaMadera50$72,9601.45
CaliforniaMerced110$85,8701.86
CaliforniaModesto270$79,3301.31
CaliforniaNapa110$88,7601.55
CaliforniaOakland2,090$85,5201.57
CaliforniaOxnard480$65,0301.28
CaliforniaRedding160$74,8802.11
CaliforniaRiverside1,240$69,1200.75
CaliforniaSacramento1,360$76,1801.18
CaliforniaSan Francisco1,110$84,2500.91
CaliforniaSan Jose1,080$60,5300.94
CaliforniaSan Luis Obispo190$71,7501.55
CaliforniaSanta Ana2,600$63,5801.32
CaliforniaSanta Barbara320$72,8501.54
CaliforniaSanta Cruz290$71,4302.96
CaliforniaSanta Rosa250$95,9801.05
CaliforniaStockton290$81,2201.13
CaliforniaVallejo280$89,0501.79
CaliforniaVisalia180$64,9701.15
CaliforniaYuba City70$75,2201.65
ColoradoBoulder300$78,0101.76
ColoradoColorado Springs390$66,5101.28
ColoradoDenver1,460$75,4200.95
ColoradoFort Collins180$71,9701.29
ColoradoGrand Junction150$64,6202.72
ColoradoGreeley70$64,0600.89
ConnecticutBridgeport760$73,2701.39
ConnecticutDanbury150$70,2901.98
ConnecticutHartford820$66,4301.17
ConnecticutNew Haven510$59,9401.5
ConnecticutNorwich270$64,5801.88
ConnecticutWaterbury180$69,5302.28
DelawareWilmington480$60,2701.17
District of ColumbiaWashington1,650$75,0000.56
FloridaCape Coral270$67,0101.02
FloridaDeltona240$54,8101.24
FloridaFort Lauderdale1,070$48,0401.14
FloridaFort Walton Beach150$54,8701.65
FloridaGainesville180$49,8201.35
FloridaJacksonville480$56,9700.64
FloridaLakeland200$54,9600.81
FloridaMiami950$53,3600.77
FloridaNaples210$60,9801.41
FloridaOcala170$47,8901.57
FloridaOrlando1,050$62,9000.79
FloridaPalm Bay320$49,5001.32
FloridaPensacola180$49,8000.96
FloridaPunta Gorda80$55,8801.79
FloridaSarasota270$59,3900.76
FloridaSebastian110$55,0502.17
FloridaTallahassee120$49,6700.62
FloridaTampa1,380$49,2500.89
FloridaWest Palm Beach1,060$48,3001.53
GeorgiaAlbany100$43,4701.49
GeorgiaAthens130$58,0701.66
GeorgiaAtlanta3,090$64,1101.03
GeorgiaAugusta300$46,5801.19
GeorgiaColumbus240$48,6201.9
GeorgiaMacon210$51,9001.97
GeorgiaRome50$48,3101.3
GeorgiaSavannah170$54,3100.99
GeorgiaWarner Robins60$45,0001.21
HawaiiHonolulu680$58,0501.29
IdahoBoise380$70,2101.27
IllinoisBloomington170$49,3502.17
IllinoisChampaign170$43,6901.71
IllinoisChicago3,430$65,2300.71
IllinoisDanville30$52,8601.07
IllinoisDecatur40$45,9400.78
IllinoisPeoria220$44,3401.09
IllinoisRockford150$54,7800.83
IllinoisSpringfield210$51,3101.72
IllinoisWaukegan600$72,0701.33
IndianaAnderson100$65,4902.66
IndianaBloomington90$69,5601.23
IndianaColumbus50$67,8401.28
IndianaElkhart130$55,8200.82
IndianaEvansville260$53,5201.23
IndianaFort Wayne320$50,9401.23
IndianaGary350$59,2201.03
IndianaIndianapolis1,410$66,4101.26
IndianaKokomo120$54,7103.03
IndianaLafayette100$77,9601.3
IndianaMuncie50$65,5701
IndianaSouth Bend290$60,4701.79
IndianaTerre Haute60$71,0600.8
IowaAmes50$61,5701.4
IowaCedar Rapids210$62,9301.37
IowaDavenport250$60,0201.12
IowaDes Moines550$62,6701.42
IowaDubuque120$52,5702.12
IowaSioux City80$57,6401.01
KansasLawrence60$58,6001.31
KansasTopeka140$67,9701.12
KansasWichita490$54,0401.45
KentuckyBowling Green60$48,2401.1
KentuckyLexington400$51,9401.39
KentuckyLouisville600$56,9200.81
KentuckyOwensboro110$48,9402.33
LouisianaAlexandria40$45,9800.61
LouisianaBaton Rouge420$48,1900.95
LouisianaHouma70$50,5800.75
LouisianaLake Charles120$60,5401.28
LouisianaShreveport140 0.73
MaineBangor40$46,5400.56
MaineLewiston70$54,5501.35
MainePortland300$56,1601.25
MarylandBaltimore1,590$59,9400.98
MarylandBethesda630$62,0100.89
MarylandCumberland80$37,2702.18
MarylandHagerstown110$58,4101
MarylandSalisbury80$73,8901.38
MassachusettsBarnstable Town340$67,5502.85
MassachusettsBoston1,990$73,1800.94
MassachusettsBrockton210$71,6402.04
MassachusettsFramingham200$78,0401.1
MassachusettsHaverhill150$59,5101.68
MassachusettsLeominster140$69,8002.49
MassachusettsLowell280$72,0001.96
MassachusettsLynn400$69,2903.75
MassachusettsNew Bedford110$63,4901.53
MassachusettsPittsfield90$60,7502.56
MassachusettsSpringfield550$63,9101.5
MassachusettsWorcester690$66,8602.25
MichiganAnn Arbor250$62,9801.21
MichiganBattle Creek110$56,8701.98
MichiganBay City110$60,6403.12
MichiganDetroit1,270$60,9601.43
MichiganFlint480$51,0302.96
MichiganGrand Rapids710$56,2101.48
MichiganHolland280$55,0902.31
MichiganJackson140$54,2802.28
MichiganKalamazoo320$55,9201.96
MichiganLansing460$58,9802.07
MichiganMonroe100$51,0802.73
MichiganMuskegon170$39,4002.61
MichiganNiles70$64,4301.06
MichiganSaginaw240$50,7502.56
MichiganWarren2,640$61,7801.74
MinnesotaDuluth250$52,9101.63
MinnesotaMinneapolis2,210$67,6000.96
MinnesotaRochester140$62,0401.64
MinnesotaSt Cloud130$69,2201.18
MississippiGulfport100$63,6400.91
MississippiHattiesburg50$44,5200.78
MississippiJackson260$33,7400.84
MississippiPascagoula80$32,9301.8
MissouriColumbia130$67,5401.63
MissouriJoplin90$58,0901.07
MissouriKansas City1,300$65,6001.02
MissouriSpringfield170$64,0200.8
MissouriSt Louis1,350$60,7400.82
MontanaBillings80$59,1600.85
MontanaGreat Falls40 1.22
MontanaMissoula100$61,4601.7
NebraskaLincoln190$57,4401.02
NebraskaOmaha310$65,2000.55
NevadaCarson City50$83,5201.67
NevadaLas Vegas860$64,1300.74
NevadaReno340$68,0401.35
New HampshireManchester200$72,6901.72
New HampshireNashua270$74,5301.71
New HampshirePortsmouth150$67,6802.49
New HampshireRochester130$71,8802.34
New JerseyAtlantic City100$69,7300.62
New JerseyCamden890$66,5101.3
New JerseyEdison1,280$68,7200.98
New JerseyNewark970$71,9800.76
New JerseyTrenton190$70,3200.68
New MexicoAlbuquerque410$72,6200.88
New YorkAlbany900$57,0401.65
New YorkBinghamton250$43,1802.03
New YorkBuffalo840$45,7601.26
New YorkElmira70$45,5101.9
New YorkGlens Falls70$59,2301.21
New YorkKingston100$65,1801.51
New YorkNassau1,480$65,5900.95
New YorkNew York4,050$68,3800.64
New YorkPoughkeepsie430$65,7601.47
New YorkRochester940$52,1901.53
New YorkSyracuse480$46,7101.23
New YorkUtica200 1.33
North CarolinaAsheville220$57,9301.07
North CarolinaCharlotte1,050$58,2801.02
North CarolinaDurham340$54,2701.14
North CarolinaFayetteville230$48,9701.67
North CarolinaGoldsboro50$54,0001.23
North CarolinaGreensboro630$63,7901.38
North CarolinaGreenville80$62,5701.14
North CarolinaJacksonville70$57,5101.74
North CarolinaRaleigh570$65,7500.95
North CarolinaRocky Mount90$63,9801.4
North CarolinaWilmington190$58,9201.2
North CarolinaWinston Salem230$62,7100.91
North DakotaBismarck120$54,9001.86
North DakotaFargo230$53,5801.77
North DakotaGrand Forks70$49,9801.29
OhioAkron490$56,2501.18
OhioCanton150$58,9400.71
OhioCincinnati1,290$60,8400.97
OhioCleveland840$58,8300.61
OhioColumbus1,140$62,0501
OhioDayton400$61,0300.79
OhioLima80$50,5601.33
OhioMansfield70$64,9601.16
OhioToledo470$54,0101.18
OhioYoungstown390$49,5501.36
OklahomaLawton50 1.47
OklahomaOklahoma City550$62,1800.78
OklahomaTulsa570$59,3701.11
OregonCorvallis90$74,0503.53
OregonEugene320$75,0801.9
OregonMedford140$67,4301.53
OregonPortland1,790$72,8101.42
OregonSalem270$73,1001.59
PennsylvaniaAllentown460$51,8401.12
PennsylvaniaAltoona80$47,0001.2
PennsylvaniaErie140$49,0000.94
PennsylvaniaHarrisburg230$53,3300.64
PennsylvaniaJohnstown90$46,7801.45
PennsylvaniaLancaster440$55,4601.55
PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia2,630$57,1001.09
PennsylvaniaPittsburgh1,370$40,0100.96
PennsylvaniaReading230$49,9801.18
PennsylvaniaScranton210$46,1700.67
PennsylvaniaWilliamsport70$43,2201.32
PennsylvaniaYork230$55,7101.06
Rhode IslandProvidence880$62,8301.26
South CarolinaAnderson90$43,9001.56
South CarolinaCharleston370$51,6601.07
South CarolinaColumbia430$46,6501.02
South CarolinaGreenville220$48,1200.6
South CarolinaSpartanburg170$53,3701.28
South CarolinaSumter50$44,7401.47
South DakotaSioux Falls170$50,7501.11
TennesseeChattanooga300$53,0001.07
TennesseeClarksville140$53,3801.68
TennesseeJackson90$54,3301.59
TennesseeKingsport210$44,2201.6
TennesseeKnoxville440$57,5001.1
TennesseeMemphis560$54,4500.74
TennesseeNashville630$44,9300.67
TexasAbilene60$61,6100.89
TexasAustin740$77,1300.83
TexasBeaumont160$53,7800.85
TexasBrownsville80$59,7000.56
TexasCollege Station90$59,6701.1
TexasCorpus Christi190$51,2500.95
TexasDallas1,800$71,1400.7
TexasEl Paso130$53,7200.44
TexasFort Worth780$61,8600.77
TexasHouston2,220$67,5800.73
TexasLongview130$52,7201.29
TexasLubbock100$53,2000.76
TexasMcallen70$56,3900.27
TexasMidland60$57,3801
TexasOdessa40$61,9000.71
TexasSan Antonio720$49,0800.73
TexasSherman50$58,2901.18
TexasTyler70$56,7100.67
TexasVictoria80$46,4901.75
TexasWichita Falls50$50,1100.77
UtahOgden320$47,7601.49
UtahProvo220$73,9501.16
UtahSalt Lake City510$66,7400.68
UtahSt George110$59,2802.22
VermontBurlington270$55,1802.21
VirginiaCharlottesville110$71,7101.17
VirginiaDanville40$61,0101.02
VirginiaLynchburg90$71,0000.81
VirginiaRichmond630$70,1100.82
VirginiaRoanoke190$63,1701.02
VirginiaVirginia Beach560$60,5300.58
WashingtonBellingham130$89,7501.48
WashingtonKennewick120$81,1701.24
WashingtonLongview90$73,9202.74
WashingtonOlympia220$86,1902.06
WashingtonSeattle2,640$86,6601.55
WashingtonTacoma630$77,6901.98
WashingtonWenatchee50$88,9001.23
WashingtonYakima150$75,5101.64
West VirginiaCharleston150$50,2200.87
West VirginiaHuntington130$45,6200.97
West VirginiaMorgantown80$47,3201.54
West VirginiaParkersburg90$46,5701.12
West VirginiaWeirton60$44,1701.29
West VirginiaWheeling130$46,9301.82
WisconsinAppleton210$57,5301.62
WisconsinEau Claire140$52,7001.63
WisconsinFond90$54,0402.22
WisconsinGreen Bay210$58,1501.05
WisconsinJanesville80$50,0601.05
WisconsinLa Crosse140$54,9601.81
WisconsinMadison300$58,4900.75
WisconsinMilwaukee1,480$54,0501.38
WisconsinOshkosh140$53,4801.49
WisconsinSheboygan110$56,5701.82
WisconsinWausau90$52,7801.17
WyomingCheyenne70$56,3701.62
 

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