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Dental Hygiene Outcomes & Career Options
Dental Hygienists work in dental offices, school system, health-related or governmental agencies, or teach in schools of dental hygiene. The dental hygienist cleans teeth and provides other preventive dental care as well as teaches patients how to practice good oral hygiene. Hygienists examine patients’ teeth and gums, recording the presence of disease and/or abnormalities. They remove stains and plaque from teeth; take and develop dental x-rays; place temporary fillings and periodontal dressings; and smooth and polish metal restorations.
Educational Qualifications
Job Outlook
Employment of dental hygienists is projected to grow 7 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 16,400 openings for dental hygienists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
7% Job Market Growth
$87,530 Median Salary
Entering Salary
The median annual wage for dental hygienists was $87,530 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $65,110, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $118,400.
In May 2023, the median annual wages for dental hygienists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
- Offices of dentists $88,450
- Offices of physicians $80,340
- Government $71,030
Partial information in this page was retrieved from Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Dental Hygienists, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-hygienists.htm (visited April 17, 2024).
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