Hygiene pay in different parts of the country

Austin, TX pay starts about $33/hr...I hear Dallas is higher, about $36.

Nashville DH in Nashville, Tennessee said: Hi BrookieRDH, I wanted to ask if you had a hard time finding a job when you first graduated from dental hygiene school. I just graduated and I can't find any jobs. It seems as if dentists would rather have all assistants and no hygienists. Did you find your job in the paper or was it word of mouth. Thankyou

I GOT OUT IN 2000 BUT HAVE BEEN IN DENTISTRY 24 YEARS AS AN ASSISTANT IN GEN. DENT. THEN 10 YEARS IN ORAL SURG. & I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YEARS AND HAVE ONLY GOTTEN BY THRU TEMPING. THERE'S NOTHING IN NASHVILLE

In San Jose, CA and the surrounding areas hygienist make $400.00-$450.00/day.

Well I am a hygienist now for 8 years in Central Illinois. I make 26.26 per hour. I have yet to hear of a dental hygienist working an actual 40 per week! I only work part-time and stay at home with my kids full time. I can not go back into a work force that is unreliable ex. bad weather, lots of know shows, dds vacation, all reasons to have time off without pay. I am back in school and pursuing a BSN degree. Sorry I ever wasted my time with dental hygiene!

I never said anything about the salary I desired, I have to find a job first, then I will talk about being realistic and about my speed.

Brooke in Greenbrier, Tennessee said: new dh, i dont have a fax number for the office and i dont want to give dds name out on the internet bc i have known this dentist for years. he prob has 4 days a week available. are you still interested. just let me know and i will think of a way to get in touch with you

Yes I am still interested, Thankyou Brooke.

Yes what is the pay like in Washington DC area for a dental hygienist?

I live in california and the normal pay starting without experience is 50 bucks an hour i have a couple of friends that got 48 an hour though

Rachael in Casa Grande, Arizona said: Yes what is the pay like in Washington DC area for a dental hygienist?

I just moved from DC where I was working as a dental assistant. I know that many of the hygenists make $35 easy with many making $40 and a few in the bigger practices making as much as $50 an hour

the starting wage in omaha, ne is around $30/hour. does any one know the wages in vancouver, bc??

Hygienists here, in Silicon Valley, CA are making $450- $475/day. (or about $60/hr.).

anyone know what the pay is like in chicago, IL??

BrookieRDH in White House, Tennessee said: Hello all,
I am a Hygienist in TN. I have been licensed for 3 years and currently making 27.5 USD per hour....just wanted to compare wages in Hygiene around the country....please ask if u have any questions....thanks.

Quit. Look for another job. You are valuable. I make $42 an hour. And temp for $45. Have you ever considered working for percentage. Thats where the real money is. I did it for 13 years and loved it. Left for better hours and benefits.

What is the pay like on the Mississippi Gulf Coast area for a dental hygienist?

I work 40 a week and I have even worked on Saturdays at other offices.
You can find work if you look and aren't to picky
Alanta is desperate for Hygienist.

I make 26 an hour at my Mon-thurs job with full benifits pay 100%
but the cost of living in Chattanooga is very low. My rent for a 3 bedroom house in a nice area is only 650 mo.
I have made as much as 30 per hour just south of Chattanooga in Dalton GA
Atlanta is a 2 hour drive for me and I have made as much as 45 there but the cost of living is very high in Atlanta around 1200 for a 2 bedroom apt.

BrookieRDH in White House, Tennessee said: Hello all,
I am a Hygienist in TN. I have been licensed for 3 years and currently making 27.5 USD per hour....just wanted to compare wages in Hygiene around the country....please ask if u have any questions....thanks.

ihave question about dental hygien because iam intresting this creer. so my quostion is how long is going to take to become adental hygien.if it is 2 years,can i procced my aducation and go four year college so i can have more education about dentistry.

some colleges hava a BS (4 year degree in Dental Hygiene)
It acually takes more than 2 years to complete the dental hygiene program.
you have lots of class to take prior to getting into the program.
at most colleges you have to take several science classes, that determine your acecptance into the program. Most of the time you need all A's or as close as possible. The college I went to they only accepted 18 students a year into the program and over 100 students applied to the program so lots of people were rejected. But just because you aren't accepted the first try doesn't mean you can't get in, just keep trying.
I didn't get in the first year either I had to go back and retake my entrance test then the next year I was accepted.

Patricia in Calgary, Alberta said: Hi Sophie, I was just wondering if you went to school in Texas? If so where, how long did it take to get in and do you have any advice? I am applying to some school in the Houston area. I will be moving from Calgary, AB.

I moved from Calgary, AB to take dental hygiene in Harlingen, TX. I applied in February and started school the following January. AND while i was waiting for my acceptance, I was able to get a lot of pre-reqs and even some of the hygiene cirriculum out of the way. The school is called Texas State Technical College. Del Mar and Coastal Bend are other schools in south Texas that I know others who attended and enjoyed it!

I am looking for a job in middle tennessee area close to Murfreesboro. Anyone heard of any openings? I am about to move to that area as soon as I get a job. I have anesthesia license.

I live in Jacksonville,Fl, and am currently looking for a job.
I have never had problems in the past finding a job. I am having
a very challenging time now finding one. I believe it is the economy (I keep getting told that hygienists are not leaving jobs at the rate that they once were). I think the fact that Jacksonville has a dental hygiene school has alot to do with it.
Alot of dentist will hire recent graduates because they think they can pay them less, however the pay scale is not much better for more experienced hygienist. Unless you are lucky enough to work for a dentist who pays you what you are worth, or you work in a prophy mill, you will be stuck making 25 to 28 per hour even though
the dentists have raised their fees significantly over the years.
They know they can do this because a fresh batch of hygienists are coming out every year eagerly searching for jobs. I've worked for many different dentist because I've worked for a temp agency; I know this to be true because I've heard the comments many times. This serves nobody well. The experienced hygienists, the patients, and the recent graduates. Once you have a few years in the dental practice you start to wonder why are wages so low here

In north Mississippi in a private prison im getting 26/hr with half the work.

malpractice, all benefits, and CE's all paid by facility as well, 1 year here and you are eligable for 401k, all paid holidays that you can choose to take when you want and about 2 weeks of paid time off you can accumulate. Not bad!! Just no bonuses and around offenders while at work. This job is not for everyone.

Joanne in Calgary, Alberta said: I moved from Calgary, AB to take dental hygiene in Harlingen, TX. I applied in February and started school the following January. AND while i was waiting for my acceptance, I was able to get a lot of pre-reqs and even some of the hygiene cirriculum out of the way. The school is called Texas State Technical College. Del Mar and Coastal Bend are other schools in south Texas that I know others who attended and enjoyed it!

So do you know about how much Hygienist make around your area now? Are jobs hard to find?

Jme in North, Mississippi said: malpractice, all benefits, and CE's all paid by facility as well, 1 year here and you are eligable for 401k, all paid holidays that you can choose to take when you want and about 2 weeks of paid time off you can accumulate. Not bad!! Just no bonuses and around offenders while at work. This job is not for everyone.

Hey... Jme! I am thinking about moving to MS after I graduate in June. I was thinking about maybe an Air Force Hygiene job. Do you have any advise about hygiene in MS and the pay/benefits?

Jill DH in Toronto, Ontario said: I am getting $42/hr in Toronto, Ontario
I have 8 yrs experience

Hi, I am an inspiring dental hygienist. I would love to work in Canada as I have been there and family lives there. I am only in sixth form in the UK, but how would I go about becoming a hygienist in Canada?

what is the wage for denturist in bc?

Hey, I need some advise. Im still in highschool and thinking about going for dental hygeinist, but my sister keeps saying its a waste of time and they dont pay $30 and hour for starting wage. Is it true? should i still go for it?

Heyy im from the chicago area and was wondering if it is easy to find a dental hygienist job? cuz i keep hearing different things about how its hard to find a job in this field. Im currently a sophomore going to illinois state university to major in business but after this semester i might go back to my community college and do their dental hygiene program. would that be a smart thing to do or no? would you guys say dental hygienist make enough to support a family? ...considering my boyfriend doesnt go to college would we be okay financially??

BrookieRDH in White House, Tennessee said: Hello all,
I am a Hygienist in TN. I have been licensed for 3 years and currently making 27.5 USD per hour....just wanted to compare wages in Hygiene around the country....please ask if u have any questions....thanks.

It's DHs that are ruining this career for every one else. I make close to $40/hour and have worked very hard for many years to get my pay up to where it is today and then along comes this DH and accepts $27.5/hour. The DDS is laughing at you behind his/her back. I made $29/hour back 16 yrs. ago. I know of a DA that makes $26/hour, most DAs make $20/hour. You spent almost 3yrs. and $20,000 to gain what, a whooping $7. You are the exact type of DH that would sellout other DH just to make a small buck. SHAME on you!!!!

Susan in Greenlawn, New York said: Please, first learn to write and spell correctly, then we'll talk about you becoming a DH.

Oh my, this did not come from me!

so are you saying that if you happen to live in the same town where the dental program is..then it will be too saturated? i am in pensacola.

hey, i am living in philadelphia anyone have any idea how the start up pay is over here?? im thinking of starting a program this january. thank you!

jana in Milton, Florida said: so are you saying that if you happen to live in the same town where the dental program is..then it will be too saturated? i am in pensacola.

Doesn't it make sense that if you are trying to find a job in a city that has a dental hygiene school that your prospects of getting hired may not be hampered, but your prospects of getting paid a decent salary will? There are some wonderful dentists here who will pay their hygienists well because they know the return will come back to them many times over. I have worked for a few wonderful dentists, and many undesirable dentists. I have been on both sides of this fence. Without a doubt the number one enemy of
dental hygienists is the hygienist who will work her tail off for
substandard wages, and be a lapdog to the uncaring dentist until she either grows up or realizes that the amount of effort she is putting out is grossly underappreciated and underpaid. I used to be a lapdog/doormat. It wasn't until i got some years under my belt that the impact of what I was inflicting on my profession set in. I worked for an awesome dentists making commission. Many days
I made 50/hr. His wife put an end to this. I had to leave due to pregnancy,but I heard that one hygienist fought for her desire to make a decent wage. The other two make 28/hr. Meanwhile the owners will retire very wealthy. They do not care about us, but for some insane reason hygienists continue to give so much of themselves to building wealth for employers who treat us as if we are disposable. I have seen dentists raise their fees off the chart over the years, while at the same time browbeat their hygienists if they want a cost of living increase. I have nothing
against recent hygiene graduates (I was one once),but this factor does play significanctly into the lower wage dilemma that many hygienist face in Jacksonville, Fl.

The cost of living in Jacksonville must be outragious, I do not know Hyg any where in Chattanooga that makes over 28 or 29 per hour. 28 is considered great money here. I know some RDH's in nearby city's that make as low as 18 per hour of course that is very low. Dentist in Chattanooga would laugh at you if you asked for 35 or 40 per hour.
I don't know how you people are getting that much. If you check out some of the wage websites it will tell you the median wage per hour for
the area you live in. www.acinet.org/acinet/

Heather Wolframe in Calgary, Alberta said: I make $50 per hr in Calgary, AB and I am a new grad

I'm in California and make $51.00/hr.

to the RDH that said the TN hyg was selling out hygienist...you might want to check out your statistics. The cost of living plays a huge role in your wage. Another contributing factor are the duties allowed by the state for RDH. So, be nice!

I feel the problem in Tennessee is there are too many hygienists for the number of jobs that are available. There are four schools in our state and most of the students are Tennesseans who get out of school and have no place to go. Yes, our cost of living is less, but if you don't have a job to go to, you will settle for less money just to make ends meet. I wish I had that choice instead of collecting unemployment.

gosh, I can't believe you have had to settle for unemployment.
Well I have had to work for less than great Dentist before and maybe not the best of pay but never without a job.

Jme in North, Mississippi said: malpractice, all benefits, and CE's all paid by facility as well, 1 year here and you are eligable for 401k, all paid holidays that you can choose to take when you want and about 2 weeks of paid time off you can accumulate. Not bad!! Just no bonuses and around offenders while at work. This job is not for everyone.

I am very interested in working for the prison system as a hygienist but I don't know what agency to contact regarding employment? Any suggestions? Thanks!!!

Beth in Marion, Arkansas said: I am very interested in working for the prison system as a hygienist but I don't know what agency to contact regarding employment? Any suggestions? Thanks!!!

I live in western mass and make a huge salary of $48.00/hr (commission based.) I work about 38 hrs a week. I have been a hygienist for 25 years. I started way back when hygienist went to school to be hygienist- not solely for the dollar sign. I have bosses that treat me extremly well. They have a very modern practice. I honestly could not be happier at my job but my husband may be relocating to Pensacola FL soon. I did not see jobs posted, so I'm worried. Don't know much yet about the cost of living or wages.

hey does anyone know the current pay in the chicago area?

SHAUNA in Nashville, Tennessee said: HI BROOKE, I REALLY APPRECIATED YOU TRYING TO HELP ME AND THE NEW DH BUT I NEED SOMETHING LESS THAN 30 MILES AWAY.
COMMENT ON SALARY, ONE OFFICE I FILL-IN AT WON'T TAKE OUT FOR TAXES & IT'S STILL ONLY $250/DAY (SAME $ AS IN 2000). OTHER OFFICES I GET $36/HR & THEY DO TAXES FOR ME. NEW DH, BE REALISTIC, YOU WON'T HAVE THE SPEED TO CARRY A FULL WORK LOAD SO DON'T EXPECT THE DR. TO GO FOR WHAT YOU THINK YOU DESERVE WITH $.

I'd like to know what the salary is in nashville or brentwood I'm planning on moving to Tn in the end of Jan. and right now i'm getting 38 in AZ.

SHAUNA in Nashville, Tennessee said: HI BROOKE, I REALLY APPRECIATED YOU TRYING TO HELP ME AND THE NEW DH BUT I NEED SOMETHING LESS THAN 30 MILES AWAY.
COMMENT ON SALARY, ONE OFFICE I FILL-IN AT WON'T TAKE OUT FOR TAXES & IT'S STILL ONLY $250/DAY (SAME $ AS IN 2000). OTHER OFFICES I GET $36/HR & THEY DO TAXES FOR ME. NEW DH, BE REALISTIC, YOU WON'T HAVE THE SPEED TO CARRY A FULL WORK LOAD SO DON'T EXPECT THE DR. TO GO FOR WHAT YOU THINK YOU DESERVE WITH $.

Hello Brooke i've been trying to find out what the pay scale is there in nashville or brentwood,because i'm planning on moving there at the end of Jan. and right now i'm getting 38 hr.

L in Nashville, Tennessee said: I feel the problem in Tennessee is there are too many hygienists for the number of jobs that are available. There are four schools in our state and most of the students are Tennesseans who get out of school and have no place to go. Yes, our cost of living is less, but if you don't have a job to go to, you will settle for less money just to make ends meet. I wish I had that choice instead of collecting unemployment.

Is it really hard to find a job there in nashville because i'm planning on moving there from az and the pay is from 38-42 for new grads.

I don't know why you think a new RDH would be slower than one that has been doing it a while I came right out of school and went into a practice doing 40 min prophys. I don't understand what takes so long when I was in school I finished before everyone else alot of the time, but thought I had to take longer just because everyone else was still working, so I would go back over and over the same
areas just to look like I was still working.
I think their are still some jobs in TN but it may not be the dentist you want to work for forever but you can work there till something better comes along.
I is hard to find the right DDS right from the start anyway, it is sometimes hard to find the right fit for you.

Donna in Chattanooga, Tn in Rossville, Georgia said: some colleges hava a BS (4 year degree in Dental Hygiene)
It acually takes more than 2 years to complete the dental hygiene program.
you have lots of class to take prior to getting into the program.
at most colleges you have to take several science classes, that determine your acecptance into the program. Most of the time you need all A's or as close as possible. The college I went to they only accepted 18 students a year into the program and over 100 students applied to the program so lots of people were rejected. But just because you aren't accepted the first try doesn't mean you can't get in, just keep trying.
I didn't get in the first year either I had to go back and retake my entrance test then the next year I was accepted.

Where exactly did you go to Hygenistry school? I am going to move to Georgia in January and i am interested in Dental Hygenistry but don't know the area. I also have my bachelor's degree since May 2008. Do you think i'll have to retake science classes again because i had a C average?

what part of Georgia are you moving to??
I live in Northwest Georgia but work in Chattanooga.
I have a licence in both states.
No Hygiene schools in Northwest Georgia, there are some in the
Atlanta area.

sorry I didn't answer your question.
I went to Chattanooga State technical college in Tn.
Whick is very close to where I live in GA, about 20 min drive.
You might have to retake your classes if it has been more
than 5 years since you have taken them. You would have
to ask an adviser to get a hard core answer.

I am in North Alabama. I graduated in May and have yet to find a job. I have been able to fill-in work but nothing full time or part time. Has anyone in Alabama had the same problem. I went to school here and none of my instructors said it would be this hard. I may be moving to Tenessee to the Spring City area...anyone know if it's easier to get a job there??

I know that the in the knoxville area it is hard to find jobs I have a friend that lives and works in the knoxville area that says that jobs are hard to find there.
I really don't much about Alabama, I didn't think you had to go to school for hygiene in Alabama, we were told in Hygiene school that the pay in Alabama was very low because you didn't have to go to school to be a hygienist there.