OK, so you think you may have found your passion in life – becoming a dental hygienist.

However, the million-dollar question is…

How much will I earn per year as a dental hygienist?

We will share more information on dental hygienist salaries with you, but there are some other things to consider first:

Is being a dental hygienist a growing or a dying career?

How are the employment prospects in dental hygiene?

And where is the best place to live and get paid as a dental hygiene professional?

Keep reading and, hopefully, we can answer some of these questions for you.

What kind of salary can I expect?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for dental hygienists was $74,070 in May 2017. By the term “median wage,” we mean that half the workers in the occupation earned more than this. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $51,180, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $101,330.

What are the highest paying states for dental hygienists?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 5 highest paying states. Numbers are based on the mean.

  1. Alaska – $51.53 per hour / $1,07,190 per year
  2. California – $46.84 per hour / $97,420 per year
  3. Washington – $43.78 per hour / $91,070 per year
  4. New Mexico – $43.14 per hour / $89,740 per year
  5. Maryland – $41.29 per hour / $85,890 per year

What are the lowest paying states for dental hygienists?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 5 lowest paying states. Numbers are based on the mean.

  1. Alabama – $22.25 per hour / $46,290 per year
  2. West Virginia – $26.43 per hour / $54,970 per year
  3. Louisiana – $27.62 per hour / $57,450 per year
  4. Mississippi – $27.70 per hour / $57,620 per year
  5. Kentucky – $28.60 per hour / $59,500 per year

What is the Career Ranking for this job?

Well, according to usnews.com, becoming a dental hygienist is exceptionally fulfilling. They analyze a boatload of data about salary, unemployment rate, and stress to select the top jobs for each year.

Dental hygienists are ranked:

  • #1 in Best Health Care Support Jobs
  • #17 in The 100 Best Jobs

What is the growth potential as a dental hygienist?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical job growth in a sector is 7%. The job growth for dental hygienists, between 2016 and 2026, is expected to be 20%, adding 40,900new jobs. That is much faster than the market average!

What are the unemployment figures like for dental hygienists?

When looking at a career to get into, it is a good idea to factor in data on how long you can stay employed. Dental hygienists have some of the lowest unemployment rates in the US. According to usnews.com, the unemployment rate for dental hygienists is only 0.5%.

The bottom line: Becoming a dental hygienist is not just a rewarding career; it is a growing and lucrative one, too.