As examined in Dental Hygienist Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Markets, the biggest U.S. metropolitan markets are major centers for dental hygienist employment. That fact notwithstanding, a deeper dive into U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reveals that smaller metro areas are where dental hygienists frequently find better pay, sometimes a whole lot better. Indeed, a review of BLS data from May 2022 shows us that just four of the top 20 U.S. metropolitan areas were among the 20 best population centers for dental hygienist pay:
20 Best Metro Areas for Dental Hygienist Pay
| Metropolitan Area | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 460 | $131,200 | ||
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (#) | 3,780 | $123,330 | ||
| 3 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,720 | $122,370 | ||
| 4 | Santa Rosa, CA | 460 | $119,730 | ||
| 5 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue (#) | 4,390 | $117,350 | ||
| 6 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 230 | $116,900 | ||
| 7 | Napa, CA | 100 | $115,180 | ||
| 8 | Anchorage, AK | 350 | $114,920 | ||
| 9 | Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 190 | $114,510 | ||
| 10 | Fairbanks, AK | 60 | $113,740 | ||
| 11 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 270 | $112,420 | ||
| 12 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (#) | 9,560 | $111,860 | ||
| 13 | Salinas, CA | 220 | $111,510 | ||
| 14 | Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | 170 | $109,600 | ||
| 15 | Modesto, CA | 300 | $108,710 | ||
| 16 | San Diego-Carlsbad (#) | 1,760 | $106,320 | ||
| 17 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | 470 | $106,250 | ||
| 18 | Yuba City, CA | 80 | $105,500 | ||
| 19 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 100 | $105,380 | ||
| 20 | Longview, WA | 90 | $105,380 | ||
| National | 214,700 | $84,860 | |||
(#) a top 20 U.S metro population area
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 6, 2023
