Dental Hygienist Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

Data published earlier this year by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put dental hygienist (DH) employment in the USA at about 211,000 as of May 2023.  At that time, approximately 19,780 dental hygienists were working in the four-state Southwestern U.S. according to the BLS.  The region is an average one for dental hygienist pay.  A deeper look at May 2023 BLS data details the following about dental hygienist pay in the Southwestern U.S.:

Dental Hygienist Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AZ	4,880	$92,460	13th
NM	1,110	$92,100	15th
OK	2,280	$91,280	17th
TX	11,510	$87,270	23rd
U.S.	211,670	$87,035	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on January 14, 2025

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported earlier this year that there were over 3,175,000 registered nurses (RNs) working in the U.S. as of May 2023.  Approximately 487,000 registered nurses were employed in the Mid-Eastern U.S. region, an area that encompasses five states and the District of Columbia.  BLS data revealed the region to be one of the better regions in the nation for RN pay. Moreover, three of the ten best states nationally for RN annual mean wages were in the region. Pennsylvania, however, was the only state to not meet the national average. Further review of BLS data from May 2023 detailed the following about registered nurse pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S. region:

Registered Nurse Pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
DC	10,810	$106,850	7th
DE	11,810	$94,670	14th
MD	49,770	$92,090	16th
NJ	82,950	$101,960	9th
NY	188,060	$106,620	8th
PA	144,100	$87,530	25th
U.S.	3,175,440	$89,611	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on January 10, 2025