There were approximately 214,700 dental hygienists working in the U.S. as of May 2022 according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports. Most dental hygienists work in dental offices, but small numbers may be found working with employment agencies, physician offices, and in outpatient care centers. Like many other trained healthcare professionals with advanced technical skills, dental hygienists earn salaries and wages in excess of that earned by workers in most other occupations. Per BLS estimates, as of May 2022, the national mean wage for dental hygienists was $84,860 annually. Pay for the profession varies widely from state to state, with dental hygienists in some states making more than twice what their counterparts made elsewhere. As of May 2022, according to BLS data the ten states with the best annual mean salary and wages for dental hygienists were:
| Alaska | $113,770 |
| California | $111,580 |
| Washington | $111,430 |
| Oregon | $95,360 |
| New Jersey | $94,610 |
| Colorado | $93,810 |
| DC | $93,770 |
| Maryland | $92,240 |
| Connecticut | $92,180 |
| Delaware | $89,490 |
At the other end of the spectrum, here were the bottom ten states for dental hygienist pay:
| Ohio | $74,220 |
| Arkansas | $73,540 |
| Utah | $73,300 |
| South Carolina | $71,100 |
| Kentucky | $70,910 |
| Michigan | $70,190 |
| Tennessee | $68,450 |
| West Virginia | $64,280 |
| Mississippi | $60,490 |
| Alabama | $53,870 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 6, 2023
