How to hire a Hygienist

How to hire a hygienist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step hygienist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a hygienist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new hygienist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a Hygienist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a hygienist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine Employee vs Contractor Status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a hygienist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a hygienist that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of hygienists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type Of Hygienist	Description	Hourly Rate
   Hygienist	Dental hygienists clean teeth, examine patients for signs of oral diseases such as gingivitis, and provide other preventive dental care. They also educate patients on ways to improve and maintain good oral health.	$28-55
   Industrial Hygienist	An Industrial Hygienist plans and conducts health programs to educate employees about cleanliness, safety, and sanitation in the workplace. They investigate adequacy of ventilation, exhaust equipment, lighting, and other conditions that can affect employees' health, comfort, or efficiency.	$21-49
   Dental Hygienist	Dental hygienists are professionals who provide preventative oral care under a dentist's supervision. They are concerned mostly in treating minor oral health conditions... Show More	$26-65

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Patients
   • Oral Health
   • Patient Education
   • Clinical Findings
   • Planing
   • Aspen
   • Dental Practice
   • CPR
   • RDH
   • Digital X Ray
   • Periodontal Disease
   • Local Anesthesia
   • Digital X-Rays
   • Dental Procedures

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage construction and demolition nationwide.
   • Perform oral prophylaxis and periodontal maintenance therapy for adult and geriatric patients with active periodontal disease.
   • Provide oral prophylactics and scaling and root planing on adults.
   • Perform oral prophylaxis, root planing, and soft tissue management.
   • Participate in several OSHA inspections for field and plants location from employee complaints.
   • Accelerate patient care includes prophylaxis, radiographs, SRP, anesthesia and fluoride.

   More Hygienist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your hygienist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A hygienist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a hygienist in Kansas may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level hygienist usually earns less than a senior-level hygienist. Additionally, a hygienist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average hygienist salary

   $83,134yearly

   $39.97 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level hygienist salary

   $59,000 yearly salary

   Updated February 15, 2025

   Average hygienist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	California	$89,843	$43
   2	Nevada	$88,494	$43
   3	Massachusetts	$88,080	$42
   4	Oregon	$87,970	$42
   5	New York	$87,846	$42
   6	New Hampshire	$87,621	$42
   7	Maine	$86,565	$42
   8	Pennsylvania	$85,520	$41
   9	Arizona	$85,276	$41
   10	Washington	$84,207	$40
   11	Michigan	$83,178	$40
   12	Ohio	$82,811	$40
   13	Oklahoma	$77,847	$37
   14	Indiana	$77,768	$37
   15	Illinois	$77,573	$37
   16	Minnesota	$76,028	$37
   17	Georgia	$76,003	$37
   18	Florida	$75,892	$36
   19	Colorado	$74,923	$36
   20	South Dakota	$73,893	$36

   Average hygienist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Private Practice	$94,201	$45.29	7
   2	Community Health Connections	$94,131	$45.26
   3	MINT dentistry	$94,075	$45.23	2
   4	Interdent	$93,645	$45.02
   5	North American Dental Group	$90,296	$43.41	24
   6	PDS	$88,531	$42.56
   7	iHire	$88,420	$42.51
   8	Willamette Dental Group	$86,690	$41.68	19
   9	Community Dental Care	$84,943	$40.84	43
   10	Western Dental	$84,942	$40.84	108
   11	Kids Smile P.C	$84,900	$40.82
   12	Elite Dental Partners	$84,253	$40.51	24
   13	Heartland Dental	$84,172	$40.47	240
   14	Pacific Dental Services	$83,165	$39.98	308
   15	Aspen Dental	$82,593	$39.71	390
   16	Familia Dental	$82,376	$39.60	2
   17	Gentle Dental	$82,030	$39.44	32
   18	Smiles Dental Care	$81,920	$39.38	4
   19	CompleteCare Health Network	$80,628	$38.76
   20	Nation Pizza	$76,761	$36.90

4. Writing a Hygienist Job Description

   A good hygienist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a hygienist job description:

   Hygienist job description example

   Under the direction of the Quality Assurance Manager, this individual is the primary responsible for day-to-day oversight of Food Safety programs and practices, including SQF compliance, and maintaining the HACCP plan and chairing the HACCP Team meetings. Works in conjunction with Corporate Technical Center to assure that Corporate Microbiology Policies are implemented as required. Provides relevant Food Safety training to plant staff. Assures Food safety control practices are being followed / documented as required (e.g., routine metal detector checks; incoming diary product tests) and includes, but is not necessarily limited to relieving Food Safety processing data, and taking appropriate actions in light of the data presented.
   
   + Schedules and chairs HACCP team meetings; assures meetings are documented. Directs needed Hazard Analyses in light of product / process / facility changes (works in conjunction with Document Control Coordinator); assures findings are documented. Assures HACCP Plan is maintained current, including, but not necessarily limited to: Process / product Flow Diagrams; Hazard Analyses, including preventative measures; CCPs and justification thereof; corrective action plans in case of CCP deviation; sampling plans; validation of critical limits.
   
   + Directs / executes plant environmental monitoring program and allergen assessment program. Assures routine samples are collected (and properly documented) as required and are in compliance with Corporate Microbiology Policies. Assures in-process / finished product microbiology samples are collected (and properly documented).
   
   + Conducts relevant Food safety training for the plant(s), including, but not necessarily limited to: HACCP topics; GMPs / hygiene; allergen awareness; basic food microbiology. Conducts (internal) Food Safety audits / inspections. Documents the findings of these and manage / document corrective action activities.
   
   + In conjunction with Document Control, assures that only the most current and approved versions of these control documents (SOPs, specifications, data collection forms, etc.) are available to those responsible for manufacture and control of product, including all Food Safety Aspects of plant manufacturing and control programs.
   
   + In conjunction with product release Coordinator, oversees product sampling programs and special product Food safety documentation requirements relevant to specific customers. Investigates customer / consumer complaints as needed and documents these investigations.

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find hygienists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any hygienists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level hygienists with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your hygienist job on Zippia to find and recruit hygienist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit hygienists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new hygienist

   Once you've found the hygienist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new hygienist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a hygienist?