Top Career Opportunities for Former Dental Hygienists in 2026
In 2026, many former dental hygienists are exploring new career paths as the landscape of dental care continues to evolve. The profession has faced challenges, leading to a significant number of professionals reassessing their roles and seeking new opportunities.
Despite a steady number of individuals pursuing dental hygienist training, a decline in job satisfaction and changing workplace dynamics have prompted many to transition to other fields. This situation raises a crucial question:
What alternative careers are dental hygienists pursuing today?
To find out, we analyzed the resumes of former dental hygienists and identified the most common jobs they moved into after leaving the profession. Our analysis focused on the top 100 positions that these professionals are transitioning into.
Below, we present the top ten most popular career options for former dental hygienists:
These positions are not only viable options but also leverage the skills and expertise acquired as a dental hygienist, serving as stepping stones to diverse career trajectories.
However, while these roles are expected, they might not fully capture the breadth of opportunities available. Below, we highlight some of the more intriguing and less conventional career paths that former dental hygienists are exploring:
While some of these roles may stand out more than others in terms of appeal, they are certainly eye-catching and indicative of the diverse pathways available to those transitioning from dental hygiene.
How We Identified the Most Common Careers for Former Dental Hygienists
Our analysis involved examining a comprehensive database of over 7 million resumes, specifically focusing on those that listed dental hygienist as part of their work history. We identified the subsequent career paths these individuals took, ranking them based on frequency of occurrence.
To create our list of the most interesting career options, we filtered the ranked data to highlight positions that:
- Appeared in fewer than 1% of all new jobs
- Were not included in the top 100 most common jobs in our database
Now, let’s delve into the detailed ranking of the most common jobs for former dental hygienists.
Detailed Ranking of the Most Common Careers for Former Dental Hygienists
In conclusion, the career landscape for former dental hygienists is diverse and full of potential. Whether choosing to remain within the dental field or branching out into new industries, these professionals bring valuable skills and experience that can lead to fulfilling careers in a variety of settings. As the job market continues to adapt, former dental hygienists are well-positioned to thrive in their next roles.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
