Dental Hygienists
Also called: Dental Hygienist, Dental Nurse, Dental Treatment Coordinator, Hygienist, Licensed Dental Hygienist, Oral Hygienist, Pediatric Dental Hygienist, Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH)
Administer oral hygiene care to patients.
What dental hygienists do
Typical tasks
- Record and review patient medical histories.
- Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
- Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
- Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
- Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.
- Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
- Expose and develop x-ray film.
- Attend continuing education courses to maintain or update skills.
- Apply fluorides or other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay.
- Maintain dental equipment and sharpen and sterilize dental instruments.
- Maintain patient recall system.
- Feel lymph nodes under patient's chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate presence of oral cancer.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Dental Hygienists salary
The median annual wage for dental hygienists is $98,100 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $74,880 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $126,050. The mean annual wage is $98,990.
The mean hourly wage of $47.00 is 6.5× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Dental Hygienists (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $98,100 → in 3 years $108,500 → in 5 years $116,000 → in 10 years $137,200 (10-year range $118,000–$159,300). The model assumes pay growth of +3.4% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Dental Hygienists
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Dental Hygienists? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Dental Hygienists
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Dental Hygienists United States | 歯科衛生士 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $98,100 | ¥3.96M ≈ $25,185 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $137,200 | ¥5.49M |
| Outlook score | 68 | 55 |
| AI replacement risk | 22% Low | 15% Very low |
| Workers | 223K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Dental Hygienists
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become dental hygienists
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as dental hygienists
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.