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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

29-1292 Dental Hygienists

Administer oral hygiene care to patients. Assess patient oral hygiene problems or needs and maintain health records. Advise patients on oral health maintenance and disease prevention. May provide advanced care such as providing fluoride treatment or administering topical anesthesia.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
221,560 1.3 % $37.13 $77,230 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $25.54 $30.90 $36.65 $44.02 $49.68
Annual Wage (2) $53,130 $64,260 $76,220 $91,560 $103,340


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Dentists 209,510 21.70 $37.28 $77,540
Employment Services 3,270 0.09 $36.19 $75,280
Offices of Physicians 2,410 0.09 $35.39 $73,610
Outpatient Care Centers 1,600 0.17 $37.16 $77,300
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 810 0.04 $29.54 $61,440

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Dentists 209,510 21.70 $37.28 $77,540
Outpatient Care Centers 1,600 0.17 $37.16 $77,300
Offices of Physicians 2,410 0.09 $35.39 $73,610
Employment Services 3,270 0.09 $36.19 $75,280
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 200 0.06 $31.23 $64,950

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities 30 (7) $41.57 $86,460
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 320 0.03 $39.13 $81,400
Management of Companies and Enterprises 60 (7) $38.00 $79,040
Offices of Dentists 209,510 21.70 $37.28 $77,540
Outpatient Care Centers 1,600 0.17 $37.16 $77,300


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 23,320 1.34 0.89 $51.08 $106,240
Texas 14,310 1.15 0.76 $36.77 $76,490
New York 11,620 1.22 0.81 $37.00 $76,960
Florida 11,310 1.29 0.85 $31.82 $66,170
Ohio 9,670 1.77 1.18 $32.65 $67,900




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Idaho 1,880 2.59 1.72 $36.50 $75,910
Connecticut 4,140 2.49 1.65 $39.71 $82,600
New Hampshire 1,510 2.29 1.52 $39.16 $81,460
Rhode Island 1,100 2.28 1.51 $36.21 $75,330
Michigan 9,140 2.10 1.40 $31.54 $65,610




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 610 1.91 1.27 $55.19 $114,790
California 23,320 1.34 0.89 $51.08 $106,240
District of Columbia (8) (8) (8) $49.22 $102,380
Washington 6,660 2.01 1.33 $44.81 $93,200
Oregon 3,810 2.00 1.32 $41.96 $87,270





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 12,010 1.24 0.82 $41.82 $86,990
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 7,380 1.58 1.05 $35.60 $74,050
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 6,660 1.07 0.71 $49.69 $103,350
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 5,060 1.38 0.92 $38.96 $81,030
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 4,760 1.70 1.13 $40.82 $84,910
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 4,260 1.34 0.89 $43.58 $90,650
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 4,250 2.15 1.42 $32.28 $67,130
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 4,180 1.45 0.96 $37.71 $78,450
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 4,170 1.69 1.12 $54.78 $113,940
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3,770 1.86 1.24 $45.64 $94,930




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Medford, OR 310 3.63 2.41 $42.64 $88,690
Barnstable Town, MA 360 3.47 2.30 $39.99 $83,180
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 210 3.44 2.28 $34.67 $72,110
Midland, MI 120 3.44 2.28 $27.65 $57,520
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 340 3.39 2.25 $52.89 $110,020
Flint, MI 430 3.16 2.10 $29.87 $62,140
Lima, OH 160 3.14 2.08 $22.44 $46,680
Grants Pass, OR 80 3.12 2.07 $41.32 $85,950
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI 410 3.08 2.04 $32.88 $68,380
Kokomo, IN 120 3.03 2.01 $31.85 $66,240




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA (8) (8) (8) $67.38 $140,150
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,880 1.65 1.09 $57.89 $120,420
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 4,170 1.69 1.12 $54.78 $113,940
Santa Rosa, CA 550 2.66 1.77 $54.52 $113,390
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA (8) (8) (8) $54.18 $112,700
Fairbanks, AK 60 1.78 1.18 $53.77 $111,830
Napa, CA 170 2.14 1.42 $53.14 $110,520
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 340 3.39 2.25 $52.89 $110,020
Anchorage, AK 330 1.90 1.26 $52.63 $109,470
Madera, CA (8) (8) (8) $52.15 $108,460

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 510 4.13 2.74 $31.46 $65,440
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 490 1.90 1.26 $30.85 $64,180
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 480 1.42 0.94 $29.49 $61,340
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 470 1.73 1.15 $28.59 $59,470
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 460 2.37 1.57 $31.85 $66,260

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 510 4.13 2.74 $31.46 $65,440
Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 90 2.68 1.78 $30.53 $63,490
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 250 2.63 1.75 $38.13 $79,300
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 280 2.57 1.71 $38.42 $79,910
Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area 220 2.53 1.68 $37.25 $77,480

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 210 1.98 1.31 $59.54 $123,850
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 70 0.68 0.45 $53.03 $110,300
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 250 2.05 1.36 $48.50 $100,870
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 170 1.67 1.11 $48.38 $100,630
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 110 1.79 1.19 $47.82 $99,470


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020