Dental hygienists

Detailed Occupation

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2022 Workforce

190k

Average Age

42.3

Estimated Job Growth

7.43%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$62,919

Average Male Salary

$128,594

Average Female Salary

$59,058

About

Dental hygienists are most often employed by the Offices of dentists industry. The average yearly wage for Dental hygienists was $62,919 in 2022.

The locations that employ the most Dental hygienists are Escambia County (Southwest) PUMA, FL, South Rhode Island--Washington County PUMA, RI, and Marathon County PUMA, WI. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Dental hygienists are Escambia County (Southwest) PUMA, FL, Mobile County (Outer)--Prichard & Saraland Cities PUMA, AL, and South Rhode Island--Washington County PUMA, RI.

Management, business, science, & arts occupations Healthcare practitioners & technical occupations

Employment and salary information for the Dental hygienists workforce. Dental hygienists workforce in 2022 was 189,629 people, of which 94.4% were women and 5.55% were men. Dental hygienists are paid most in Greater Fairbanks, Greater Juneau, Ketchikan Gateway Borough & Road-Connected Alaska PUMA, AK but are relatively concentrated in Escambia County (Southwest) PUMA, FL.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

10,528

Male Workforce

± 2.52k

179,101

Female Workforce

± 10.4k

The Dental hygienists workforce in 2022 was 189,629 people (94.4% women and 5.55% men). This implies an average annual growth of 6.26% between 2018 (178,465) and 2022 (189,629).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Dental hygienists.

During 2022, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Alaska ($157,689), Delaware ($98,666), and California ($79,834).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$62,919

AVERAGE WAGE

#225 in the ranking (2022)

$64,683

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2022, Dental hygienists earned an average of $62,919, $1,764 less than the average national salary of $64,683

The graph shows the ranking of Dental hygienists in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2022.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.31

WAGE GINI

In 2022, Dental hygienists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.31, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Dental hygienists (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Dental hygienists compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Dental hygienists and on wages for those in the field. Offices of dentists is the industry that employs the most Dental hygienists, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Dental hygienists, by average wage, is Outpatient care centers ($93,139).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

190k

2022 Workforce

± 10,685

0.253%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 7.95%

This graphic shows the share of Dental hygienists employed by various industries. Offices of dentists employs the largest share of Dental hygienists at 98.5%, followed by General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 0.891% and Other health care services with 0.592%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Dental hygienists in the US. The workforce of Dental hygienists in 2022 was 189,629 people, with 94.4% woman, and 5.55% men. The average age of male Dental hygienists in the workforce is 43.3 and of female Dental hygienists is 42.2, and the most common race/ethnicity for Dental hygienists is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Dental hygienists in 2022 was 189,629 people, with 94.4% woman, and 5.55% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (28,342 people), 25 to 29 years (25,571 people), and 35 to 39 years (25,492 people). Among them they concentrated 41.9% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2022, 10.1% of Dental hygienists workers were Hispanic and 89.9% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (74.4%), Puerto Rican (13.7)%, and Cuban (11.9)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2022, 81.5% of the Dental hygienists workforce were White, of which 95.9% were women and 4.14% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Asian (5.6%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Dental hygienists from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Dental hygienists is Health but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2022 were Health.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Dental hygienists in 2022 (counting all academic degrees) were Health (40,837 people), Business (5,994 people), and Biology (5,594 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Dental hygienists workers were Associates Degree (91,416 people), Bachelors Degree (63,040 people), and Some college (16,587 people).

The graphic shows the Dental hygienists workforce by gender and educational level.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Dental Hygienists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 2.84%, but Dental Hygienists are expected to see a growth of 7.43% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

7.43%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

2.84%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Dental hygienists. This profession is expected to grow more than than 2.84%, the average rate of national job growth.