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The differences between dental hygienists and surgical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a dental hygienist has an average salary of $88,432, which is higher than the $52,193 average annual salary of a surgical technician.
The top three skills for a dental hygienist include patients, patient care and CPR. The most important skills for a surgical technician are patients, surgical technologist, and surgical procedures.
| Dental Hygienist | Surgical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $88,432 | $52,193 |
| Hourly rate | $42.52 | $25.09 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 24,234 | 70,920 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 71% | Associate Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
Dental hygienists are professionals who provide preventative oral care under a dentist's supervision. They are concerned mostly in treating minor oral health conditions. They clean teeth, examine any signs of damage and oral diseases and provide dental recommendations and after-care treatment. They educate patients with proper oral hygiene and counseling about how good nutrition impacts oral health. They also teach them ways to improve and maintain good oral health.
A Surgical Technician is an essential member of a medical operating team. They serve as an additional hand of a surgeon. Surgical Technicians have the vital responsibility of assisting surgeons during operations, such as passing and providing instruments and tools such as Graspers, Clasps, Suction, and more. Furthermore, Surgical Technicians are also responsible for preparing all of the required surgical devices and instruments, making sure they are all up to the standards of hospital and medical regulations. And post-surgery, their duties include applying bandages to a patient and even cleaning the operating room.
Dental hygienists and surgical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dental Hygienist | Surgical Technician | |
| Average salary | $88,432 | $52,193 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $137,000 | Between $35,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Bonita | St. Tammany Health System |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a dental hygienist and a surgical technician in terms of educational background:
| Dental Hygienist | Surgical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 71% | Associate Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Dental Assisting | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between dental hygienists' and surgical technicians' demographics:
| Dental Hygienist | Surgical Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 6.9% Female, 93.1% | Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 73.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 4.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 13% |