Dental Hygienist Salary

When reviewing the possibility of either a first occupation or a new occupation, salaries are often a consideration, although rarely a primary one. Most people know the three standard influences of salary for dental hygienists, but only a few fully realize that dental hygienist salary estimates, among others, include a fourth element as well.

The Four Influencing Factors

The three standard influences of dental hygienist salary ranges are education level, geography and experience. Since most states require at least an associate’s degree in a related field to qualify for licensing, you may be allowed to transfer common credits if you go back to school for specialized career training in the field. Regardless of your prior degree field, you must earn at least that two- to three-year degree in the field before you qualify for accreditation and state licensing.

If a related associate’s degree will start you in one of the nation’s top careers, the entry-level education is worthwhile. However, both continuing education and career advancement ambition may influence applying your online course credits toward higher degrees, such as a bachelor’s or even an online masters degree for even greater dental hygienist salary potential. A post-graduate degree will boost your potential income level even more.As in other fields, the more education you possess and can apply to your career field, the greater your salary potential can reach.

The second influence is experience. Your level of experience is valuable, and most employers recognize that. Combining education and experience multiplies your salary potential even more.

The third standard influence is geography. All other factors being equal, major metropolitan areas usually pay higher hourly rates than rural areas, primarily because there are higher costs associated with living and working in those areas. Sometimes, accepting a lower paying position in a rural area with lower cost of living rates actually increases your disposable income—the money left after paying bills.

The fourth influence over a salary for dental hygienist is demand: If there are more dental hygienists looking for work in any given area than there are positions available, employers can afford to reduce starting pay scales because someone needs that job badly enough that the hygienist will take the lower pay to get a paycheck. If you apply in a heavily saturated area, your qualifications must stand high above the crowd to justify a higher salary and to get noticed in the first place.

Salary Ranges

When discussing salary ranges, two terms must be understood. ‘Mean annual salaries’ means the middle 50 percent of salaries per year, and ‘average’ means the mid-point between the highest figure and the lowest. They are not synonymous.

The top three states that paid the highest mean annual dental hygienist salary for those employed full-time in 2008 were Alaska at $90,740, California at $90,220 and Washington state at $87,810. These states also reflect the states that had the highest demand for dental hygienists.

However, pay scales have dropped nationally since 2008, and experts now report that dental hygienist salary figures range from $31,797 to roughly $87,000 per year, bringing the national average annual salary for dental hygienist to approximately $59,398.50. If you want to get the highest salary possible, you’ll need to get the education and experience necessary. Don’t wait, but register for online dental hygienist courses today!