29
Dental Hygienists is a notable career in the 29 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Dental Hygienists against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 29-1292 |
| title | Dental Hygienists |
| onet code | 29-1292.00 |
| description | Administer oral hygiene care to patients. Assess patient oral hygiene problems or needs and maintain health records. Advise patients on oral health maintenance and disease prevention. May provide advanced care such as providing fluoride treatment or administering topical anesthesia. |
| job zone | 3 |
| major group | 29 |
| tot emp | 219,070 |
| a mean | 93,890 |
| a median | 94,260 |
| a pct10 | 66,470 |
| a pct25 | 80,060 |
| a pct75 | 102,920 |
| a pct90 | 120,060 |
| h mean | 45 |
| h median | 45 |
The day-to-day work of a dental hygienists typically centers on record and review patient medical histories. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and Speaking. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.22 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working dental hygienists, the most common entry qualification is a Associate's Degree (or other 2 (75.2%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 25% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Alaska at $129,760 and lowest in Alabama at $59,840 — a 2.2× spread. The top five states (Alaska, District of Columbia, Washington, California, Oregon) average $124,478. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $129,760 | $118,010 | $58,340 | $135,400 | 770 |
| District of Columbia | $127,900 | $130,850 | $125,640 | $151,010 | 330 |
| Washington | $125,370 | $125,090 | $100,800 | $159,470 | 5,140 |
| California | $121,080 | $127,090 | $56,330 | $137,460 | 22,940 |
| Oregon | $118,280 | $115,130 | $101,570 | $127,770 | 3,640 |
| Colorado | $106,730 | $103,960 | $78,070 | $126,000 | 4,470 |
| Maryland | $105,140 | $104,980 | $97,110 | $119,110 | 3,780 |
| Nevada | $103,160 | $101,590 | $93,030 | $123,090 | 2,040 |
| New Jersey | $102,600 | $98,490 | $84,050 | $105,480 | 6,030 |
| Massachusetts | $100,790 | $101,050 | $95,400 | $107,560 | 6,780 |
| Delaware | $99,720 | $102,530 | $85,630 | $123,980 | 590 |
| Vermont | $99,490 | $97,370 | $78,390 | $114,680 | 520 |
| Minnesota | $98,970 | $95,460 | $78,720 | $105,490 | 4,660 |
| Virginia | $98,880 | $98,500 | $79,980 | $121,950 | 3,580 |
| Arizona | $97,530 | $96,050 | $84,190 | $102,170 | 5,040 |
| Hawaii | $96,770 | $94,340 | $81,790 | $101,560 | 1,060 |
| New Hampshire | $96,740 | $94,850 | $82,450 | $102,190 | 1,540 |
| Illinois | $96,490 | $86,940 | $64,010 | $99,660 | 8,740 |
| New Mexico | $96,410 | $93,380 | $80,020 | $103,000 | 1,400 |
| Connecticut | $96,270 | $96,090 | $84,390 | $106,140 | 3,320 |
| Oklahoma | $95,860 | $93,940 | $81,140 | $101,490 | 2,750 |
| New York | $95,560 | $93,590 | $66,450 | $122,130 | 10,350 |
| Montana | $94,740 | $91,380 | $80,440 | $101,410 | 950 |
| Texas | $94,490 | $89,640 | $48,390 | $110,560 | 16,010 |
| Indiana | $90,290 | $86,310 | $63,200 | $101,470 | 5,110 |
| North Carolina | $89,720 | $87,770 | $76,860 | $99,570 | 7,030 |
| Maine | $88,700 | $88,390 | $79,120 | $100,580 | 1,000 |
| Idaho | $84,990 | $88,100 | $81,310 | $98,910 | 1,800 |
| Nebraska | $84,400 | $83,540 | $63,280 | $94,820 | 1,400 |
| South Dakota | $84,300 | $84,780 | $67,410 | $93,980 | 730 |
| Wisconsin | $83,850 | $85,590 | $69,880 | $102,150 | 5,620 |
| Arkansas | $83,760 | $85,620 | $56,430 | $101,250 | 1,790 |
| Georgia | $83,500 | $87,070 | $66,170 | $103,750 | 7,360 |
| Missouri | $83,270 | $87,170 | $78,070 | $102,390 | 2,840 |
| North Dakota | $83,010 | $85,150 | $75,180 | $94,910 | 580 |
| Rhode Island | $82,870 | $81,700 | $81,680 | $86,380 | 850 |
| Iowa | $82,770 | $85,130 | $78,270 | $94,140 | 2,020 |
| Utah | $82,610 | $84,300 | $76,650 | $97,370 | 3,940 |
| Wyoming | $82,220 | $81,050 | $58,240 | $94,750 | 480 |
| Kansas | $82,060 | $82,690 | $64,900 | $97,000 | 2,460 |
| Tennessee | $81,810 | $83,880 | $65,460 | $97,460 | 4,550 |
| South Carolina | $81,710 | $81,550 | $63,950 | $94,810 | 3,200 |
| Ohio | $81,620 | $84,160 | $71,520 | $99,490 | 8,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,510 | $83,470 | $63,230 | $102,030 | 8,640 |
| Florida | $81,090 | $83,270 | $73,210 | $97,080 | 13,860 |
| Michigan | $80,990 | $80,860 | $73,720 | $91,400 | 8,320 |
| Louisiana | $80,900 | $76,190 | $43,230 | $99,230 | 2,720 |
| Kentucky | $77,440 | $76,030 | $60,120 | $95,680 | 2,140 |
| West Virginia | $72,670 | $69,660 | $54,080 | $83,830 | 1,220 |
| Mississippi | $66,290 | $66,490 | $48,290 | $79,320 | 1,520 |
| Alabama | $59,840 | $57,690 | $47,280 | $68,640 | 2,840 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for dental hygienists. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Dental Hygienist or Dental Nurse frequently describe the same role.
This data helps you understand how Dental Hygienists compares to others in the 29 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Dental Hygienists
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.