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Best states for a dental hygienist
Quoted expert
Mario Alemagno
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like dental hygienists are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for dental hygienists aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Our research shows that New Hampshire is the best state in the country for dental hygienists.
In order to get you the best states for dental hygienists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the Midwest is best for dental hygienists, and the Northeast is the worst. Sacramento, CA is the best city in the country for dental hygienist jobs, where as New Hampshire is the best state in the country.
10 best states for dental hygienists in 2025
1. New Hampshire
Total dental hygienist jobs: 53 Average annual salary: $92,209 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.112. Pennsylvania
Total dental hygienist jobs: 289 Average annual salary: $90,819 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 0.913. New Mexico
Total dental hygienist jobs: 82 Average annual salary: $87,248 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.534. Nevada
Total dental hygienist jobs: 42 Average annual salary: $91,430 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 0.735. Arizona
Total dental hygienist jobs: 186 Average annual salary: $88,388 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.166. Rhode Island
Total dental hygienist jobs: 17 Average annual salary: $93,609 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 0.517. Massachusetts
Total dental hygienist jobs: 187 Average annual salary: $93,079 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 0.748. Washington
Total dental hygienist jobs: 390 Average annual salary: $88,239 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.959. Maine
Total dental hygienist jobs: 46 Average annual salary: $88,714 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.2710. Oregon
Total dental hygienist jobs: 156 Average annual salary: $88,402 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
Dental hygienist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a dental hygienist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a dental hygienist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $92,209 | $57,000 | 1,342,795 | 53 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $90,819 | $57,000 | 12,805,537 | 289 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $87,248 | $57,000 | 2,088,070 | 82 |
| 4 | Nevada | $91,430 | $63,000 | 2,998,039 | 42 |
| 5 | Arizona | $88,388 | $59,000 | 7,016,270 | 186 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $93,609 | $58,000 | 1,059,639 | 17 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $93,079 | $58,000 | 6,859,819 | 187 |
| 8 | Washington | $88,239 | $63,000 | 7,405,743 | 390 |
| 9 | Maine | $88,714 | $54,000 | 1,335,907 | 46 |
| 10 | Oregon | $88,402 | $63,000 | 4,142,776 | 156 |
| 11 | New York | $92,508 | $58,000 | 19,849,399 | 309 |
| 12 | Michigan | $83,647 | $54,000 | 9,962,311 | 334 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $93,213 | $58,000 | 3,588,184 | 57 |
| 14 | California | $91,455 | $63,000 | 39,536,653 | 796 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $92,366 | $58,000 | 9,005,644 | 103 |
| 16 | Vermont | $89,197 | $55,000 | 623,657 | 10 |
| 17 | Idaho | $84,707 | $59,000 | 1,716,943 | 28 |
| 18 | Ohio | $81,179 | $52,000 | 11,658,609 | 233 |
| 19 | Delaware | $90,639 | $56,000 | 961,939 | 4 |
| 20 | Alaska | $84,430 | $70,000 | 739,795 | 26 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $76,588 | $52,000 | 5,795,483 | 238 |
| 22 | Texas | $81,559 | $49,000 | 28,304,596 | 493 |
| 23 | Oklahoma | $75,340 | $49,000 | 3,930,864 | 133 |
| 24 | Maryland | $89,103 | $55,000 | 6,052,177 | 115 |
| 25 | Virginia | $85,107 | $52,000 | 8,470,020 | 183 |
| 26 | Utah | $83,241 | $58,000 | 3,101,833 | 19 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $81,428 | $51,000 | 1,815,857 | 14 |
| 28 | Indiana | $74,669 | $49,000 | 6,666,818 | 180 |
| 29 | Colorado | $78,161 | $55,000 | 5,607,154 | 224 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $88,594 | $55,000 | 693,972 | 23 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $72,940 | $46,000 | 4,454,189 | 97 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $76,142 | $44,000 | 4,684,333 | 47 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $73,277 | $51,000 | 5,576,606 | 257 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $70,392 | $44,000 | 6,715,984 | 166 |
| 35 | Florida | $66,131 | $36,000 | 20,984,400 | 870 |
| 36 | Montana | $78,256 | $55,000 | 1,050,493 | 15 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $73,896 | $44,000 | 10,273,419 | 177 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $73,318 | $52,000 | 755,393 | 17 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $76,465 | $54,000 | 579,315 | 2 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $66,051 | $38,000 | 5,024,369 | 175 |
| 41 | Missouri | $72,006 | $48,000 | 6,113,532 | 171 |
| 42 | Illinois | $74,833 | $50,000 | 12,802,023 | 228 |
| 43 | Georgia | $66,099 | $39,000 | 10,429,379 | 329 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $70,594 | $49,000 | 869,666 | 21 |
| 45 | Kansas | $73,508 | $50,000 | 2,913,123 | 48 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $71,931 | $50,000 | 1,920,076 | 38 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $71,817 | $46,000 | 3,004,279 | 29 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $71,654 | $42,000 | 2,984,100 | 23 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $68,693 | $56,000 | 1,427,538 | 11 |
| 50 | Alabama | $68,004 | $40,000 | 4,874,747 | 60 |
| 51 | Iowa | $70,829 | $48,000 | 3,145,711 | 58 |
Highest paying states for dental hygienists
| Rank | State | Avg. Dental Hygienist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $92,209 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $90,819 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $87,248 |
| 4 | Nevada | $91,430 |
| 5 | Arizona | $88,388 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $93,609 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $93,079 |
| 8 | Washington | $88,239 |
| 9 | Maine | $88,714 |
| 10 | Oregon | $88,402 |
| 11 | New York | $92,508 |
| 12 | Michigan | $83,647 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $93,213 |
| 14 | California | $91,455 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $92,366 |
| 16 | Vermont | $89,197 |
| 17 | Idaho | $84,707 |
| 18 | Ohio | $81,179 |
| 19 | Delaware | $90,639 |
| 20 | Alaska | $84,430 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $76,588 |
| 22 | Texas | $81,559 |
| 23 | Oklahoma | $75,340 |
| 24 | Maryland | $89,103 |
| 25 | Virginia | $85,107 |
| 26 | Utah | $83,241 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $81,428 |
| 28 | Indiana | $74,669 |
| 29 | Colorado | $78,161 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $88,594 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $72,940 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $76,142 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $73,277 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $70,392 |
| 35 | Florida | $66,131 |
| 36 | Montana | $78,256 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $73,896 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $73,318 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $76,465 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $66,051 |
| 41 | Missouri | $72,006 |
| 42 | Illinois | $74,833 |
| 43 | Georgia | $66,099 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $70,594 |
| 45 | Kansas | $73,508 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $71,931 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $71,817 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $71,654 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $68,693 |
| 50 | Alabama | $68,004 |
| 51 | Iowa | $70,829 |
Expert opinions on the best states for dental hygienists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for dental hygienists to find work opportunities?
Mario Alemagno
Dental Coach, Business Coach, Life Coach, Dental School
The coronavirus pandemic may have improved, what I believe, has always been a good professional field opportunity. The need for good dental care is everywhere. I don’t believe any single place can be selected over another. Many veteran dentists were making their decision to retire or sell their practices with all the changes to PPE’s and increased time-consuming infection control procedures that are now necessary. This makes it all that much more exciting for graduating dentists. The education the students now get prepares them for this. Knowing this makes them more comfortable in their future endeavors.
Dental hygienist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025