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 2021 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 | 260 | $125,750 | ||
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 2,010 | $122,660 | ||
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (#) | 3,270 | $119,320 | ||
| 4 | Anchorage, AK | 290 | $116,270 | ||
| 5 | Santa Rosa, CA | 460 | $115,730 | ||
| 6 | Alaska non-metro | 170 | $114,670 | ||
| 7 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 270 | $114,370 | ||
| 8 | Fairbanks, AK | 50 | $113,880 | ||
| 9 | Napa, CA | 120 | $112,520 | ||
| 10 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue (#) | 4,260 | $111,600 | ||
| 11 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 560 | $111,240 | ||
| 12 | Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 250 | $110,780 | ||
| 13 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (#) | 1,040 | $107,330 | ||
| 14 | Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade | 1,930 | $106,980 | ||
| 15 | Modesto, CA | 330 | $106,900 | ||
| 16 | Western Washington non-metro | 190 | $105,650 | ||
| 17 | Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | 180 | $105,100 | ||
| 18 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (#) | 10,150 | $104,840 | ||
| 19 | Salinas, CA | 190 | $104,490 | ||
| 20 | Northern Valley California non-metro | 140 | $103,160 | ||
| National | 207,190 | $81,360 | |||
(#) a top 20 U.S metro population area
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on November 16, 2022
