Dental Hygienist Pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S

The most recent occupational employment reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put dental hygienist (DH) employment in the country at about 211,600 as of May 2023.  At that time, the Mid-Eastern U.S. was home to approximately 30,440 employed dental hygienists according to the BLS.  BLS data shows the region to be a mixed picture for dental hygienist pay.  Three states in the region, plus the District of Columbia, ranked among the eleven best states nationally for dental hygienist annual mean wages.  At the same time, however, the region's two biggest employment centers for DHs, New York and Pennsylvania, both had dental hygienist annual mean wage levels that were just at or below the national average.  A deeper examination of May 2023 BLS data shows the following about dental hygienist pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.:

Dental Hygienist Pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
DC	230	$113,600	4th
DE	710	$98,660	8th
MD	3,590	$101,140	7th
NJ	6,060	$95,700	10th
NY	12,100	$87,290	22nd
PA	7,750	$77,010	44th
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 February 24, 2025