Dental Hygienist Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

Data published earlier this year by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put dental hygienist (DH) employment in the USA at about 211,000 as of May 2023.  At that time, approximately 19,780 dental hygienists were working in the four-state Southwestern U.S. according to the BLS.  The region is an average one for dental hygienist pay.  A deeper look at May 2023 BLS data details the following about dental hygienist pay in the Southwestern U.S.:

Dental Hygienist Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AZ	4,880	$92,460	13th
NM	1,110	$92,100	15th
OK	2,280	$91,280	17th
TX	11,510	$87,270	23rd
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 14, 2025

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported earlier this year that there were over 3,175,000 registered nurses (RNs) working in the U.S. as of May 2023.  Approximately 487,000 registered nurses were employed in the Mid-Eastern U.S. region, an area that encompasses five states and the District of Columbia.  BLS data revealed the region to be one of the better regions in the nation for RN pay. Moreover, three of the ten best states nationally for RN annual mean wages were in the region. Pennsylvania, however, was the only state to not meet the national average. Further review of BLS data from May 2023 detailed the following about registered nurse pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S. region:

Registered Nurse Pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
DC	10,810	$106,850	7th
DE	11,810	$94,670	14th
MD	49,770	$92,090	16th
NJ	82,950	$101,960	9th
NY	188,060	$106,620	8th
PA	144,100	$87,530	25th
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 10, 2025

Medical Assistant Pay in the Southeastern U.S.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released earlier this year put the number of medical assistants (MA) at work in the United States at over 763,000 as of May 2023. Per BLS data, approximately 195,000 medical assistant jobs were in the twelve-state Southeastern region of the country. In general, the Southeastern U.S. was the worst in the nation for medical assistant pay, with six states in the region ranked among the ten states in the country with the lowest annual mean wage level for medical assistants. Moreover, as of May 2023, no state in the region recorded a medical assistant annual mean wage level that was above the national average.  A closer examination of BLS data reveals the following details about medical assistant pay in the Southeastern U.S. as of May 2023:

Medical Assistant Pay in the Southeastern U.S

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AL	12,360	$34,160	50th
AR	4,700	$35,560	47th
FL	55,110	$40,530	33rd
GA	25,160	$39,640	36th
KY	12,460	$37,090	46th
LA	10,610	$33,610	51st
MS	3,590	$34,630	49th
NC	22,950	$40,880	31st
SC	9,530	$38,520	43rd
TN	18,640	$38,860	42nd
VA	16,100	$42,010	27th
WV	4,120	$34,660	48th
U.S.	763,020	$42,404	-------

(*) 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 8, 2024

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) most recent occupational statistical data, there were almost 145,000 occupational therapists (OTs) employed in the United States as of May 2023.  Nearly 5,900 occupational therapists were employed at that time in the five-state Rocky Mountain region of the country.  BLS data revealed that nearly 2/3rds of occupational therapists in the Rocky Mountain region lived in Colorado, which ranked as a top ten state in the nation for OT annual mean wages.  Elsewhere in the region, OTs did not fare as well financially as no other Rocky Mountain state recorded an OT annual mean wage level that topped the national average for the profession.  Moreover, three states in the region ranked among the bottom third of states for occupational therapist annual mean wage levels.  A closer look at the BLS data reveals the following about occupational therapist pay in the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. as of May 2023:

Occupational Therapist Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
CO	3,540	$104,950	5th
ID	610	$89,550	31st
MT	460	$87,380	40th
UT	940	$85,750	45th
WY	320	$84,690	47th
U.S.	144,850	$93,491	-------

(*) 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 7, 2024

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