Dental Hygienist Pay in the Great Lakes Region

Recently released data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that there were over 211,000 dental hygienists employed in the United States as of May 2023.  About 34,200 dental hygienists were employed in the five-state Great Lakes region according to BLS reports.  The region is among the weaker ones in the nation for dental hygienist pay, with the annual mean wage for dental hygienists in all five states falling below the national average.  May 2023 BLS data reveals the following about dental hygienist pay in the Great Lakes region:

Dental Hygienist Pay in the Great Lakes Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IL	7,730	$82,470	30th
IN	4,770	$82,800	27th
MI	8,370	$76,800	46th
OH	8,470	$79,260	39th
WI	4,880	$80,450	34th
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 3, 2025

The latest occupational employment data released data by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that over 3,072,000 registered nurses (RNs) were working in the U.S. as of May 2023.  More than 470,000 of those RN jobs were in the six-state Far Western region of the country.  BLS data reveals the Far West as the best region in the nation for registered nurse pay.  Not only was the average annual mean wage for registered nurses in every state in the region above the national average, but all six states in the region ranked among the top ten states in the nation for RN annual mean wages.  Further examination of May 2023 BLS data reveals the following about registered nurse pay in the Far Western U.S.:

Registered Nurse Pay in the Far Western U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AK	6,590	$109,210	5th
CA	332,560	$137,690	1st
HI	11,920	$119,710	2nd
NV	25,890	$97,700	11th
OR	38,770	$113,440	3rd
WA	65,030	$111,030	4th
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 1, 2025