Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

29-2021 Dental Hygienists

Clean teeth and examine oral areas, head, and neck for signs of oral disease. May educate patients on oral hygiene, take and develop x rays, or apply fluoride or sealants.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
184,110 1.4 % $33.54 $69,760 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $22.12 $27.38 $33.31 $40.05 $45.60
Annual Wage (2) $46,020 $56,950 $69,280 $83,310 $94,850


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Dentists 176,670 21.14 $33.69 $70,070
Offices of Physicians 1,860 0.08 $30.84 $64,160
Employment Services 1,240 0.04 $31.10 $64,690
Outpatient Care Centers 690 0.11 $33.28 $69,220
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 590 0.03 $25.94 $53,960

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Dentists 176,670 21.14 $33.69 $70,070
Outpatient Care Centers 690 0.11 $33.28 $69,220
Offices of Physicians 1,860 0.08 $30.84 $64,160
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 470 0.07 $32.07 $66,710
Employment Services 1,240 0.04 $31.10 $64,690

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Facilities Support Services 40 0.03 $35.89 $74,650
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 60 0.02 $34.03 $70,790
Offices of Dentists 176,670 21.14 $33.69 $70,070
Outpatient Care Centers 690 0.11 $33.28 $69,220
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 470 0.07 $32.07 $66,710


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 19,590 1.40 0.97 $43.75 $91,010
Texas 10,850 1.05 0.73 $32.30 $67,190
Florida 9,800 1.37 0.95 $27.93 $58,080
New York 9,690 1.15 0.80 $32.91 $68,440
Michigan 8,930 2.33 1.63 $28.99 $60,310




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Michigan 8,930 2.33 1.63 $28.99 $60,310
Utah 2,410 2.07 1.44 $31.67 $65,880
Idaho 1,210 2.04 1.42 $33.20 $69,060
Connecticut 3,290 2.04 1.42 $41.20 $85,700
Washington 5,430 2.00 1.39 $43.47 $90,420




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 19,590 1.40 0.97 $43.75 $91,010
District of Columbia 430 0.66 0.46 $43.51 $90,500
Washington 5,430 2.00 1.39 $43.47 $90,420
Nevada 1,280 1.15 0.80 $42.60 $88,620
Alaska 410 1.31 0.91 $41.50 $86,310





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 5,620 1.57 1.09 $29.93 $62,250
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 4,280 1.12 0.78 $44.78 $93,130
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,790 0.75 0.52 $38.82 $80,740
Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division 3,040 2.93 2.04 $29.78 $61,940
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 2,910 1.43 0.99 $35.83 $74,530
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 2,830 1.27 0.89 $33.66 $70,020
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 2,820 1.65 1.15 $34.84 $72,480
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 2,700 1.17 0.81 $44.47 $92,500
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 2,660 1.95 1.36 $45.19 $94,000
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 2,530 1.40 0.97 $30.54 $63,520




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Danbury, CT 270 4.06 2.83 $36.16 $75,210
St. George, UT 180 3.89 2.71 $29.78 $61,940
Flint, MI 480 3.75 2.61 $26.37 $54,840
Corvallis, OR 120 3.68 2.56 $37.90 $78,830
Holland-Grand Haven, MI 330 3.33 2.32 $29.42 $61,200
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 250 3.14 2.19 $47.11 $97,990
Punta Gorda, FL 120 3.08 2.15 $30.30 $63,020
Ogden-Clearfield, UT 580 3.05 2.12 $32.42 $67,430
Waterbury, CT 190 3.02 2.11 $34.01 $70,730
Mankato-North Mankato, MN 150 3.01 2.10 $33.09 $68,830




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 1,050 1.09 0.76 $51.02 $106,120
New Haven, CT 600 2.25 1.57 $50.68 $105,420
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA (8) (8) (8) $48.34 $100,550
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 360 2.09 1.46 $47.11 $98,000
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 250 3.14 2.19 $47.11 $97,990
Modesto, CA 320 2.16 1.50 $46.61 $96,950
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 2,090 2.20 1.53 $45.81 $95,280
Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA 240 2.41 1.68 $45.63 $94,900
Napa, CA 50 0.84 0.59 $45.21 $94,040
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 2,660 1.95 1.36 $45.19 $94,000

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 450 1.54 1.07 $31.34 $65,190
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 430 1.57 1.09 $27.85 $57,920
Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 360 1.94 1.35 $27.73 $57,680
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 360 1.48 1.03 $32.86 $68,350
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 350 1.59 1.11 $30.06 $62,520

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Western Utah nonmetropolitan area 70 3.12 2.17 $24.00 $49,930
Northwestern Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 110 3.05 2.12 $39.83 $82,840
Northwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area 140 3.03 2.11 $44.31 $92,160
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 340 2.98 2.07 $29.31 $60,970
Southern Oregon and Linn County nonmetropolitan area 250 2.71 1.89 $38.49 $80,060

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Western Central Nevada nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $53.53 $111,350
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.60 0.42 $46.73 $97,200
Southwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area 100 1.57 1.09 $46.59 $96,920
Central Washington nonmetropolitan area 110 1.71 1.19 $45.57 $94,790
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 160 2.64 1.84 $45.03 $93,660


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012