# Dental Hygienists

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/dental-hygienists
- SOC code: 29-1292.00
- Career family: Healthcare practitioners
- Median annual pay: $98,100 (10th percentile $74,880, 90th percentile $126,050)
- Projected growth: Much faster than average, +8.0%
- Openings a year: 15,000
- Typical entry education: Associate's degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SRI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 71 |
| Investigative (I) | 59 |
| Artistic (A) | 2 |
| Social (S) | 73 |
| Enterprising (E) | 12 |
| Conventional (C) | 55 |

## What you'd do

- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 90/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 87/100)
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 82/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 79/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 76/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 76/100)
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others (importance 75/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 74/100)
- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 74/100)
- Getting Information (importance 72/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Monitoring, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Writing, Active Learning, Coordination, Instructing

## Knowledge

Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service, Psychology, English Language, Education and Training, Computers and Electronics, Public Safety and Security, Chemistry, Law and Government, Biology

## Also called

Dental Hygienist, Dental Nurse, Dental Treatment Coordinator, Hygienist, Licensed Dental Hygienist, Oral Hygienist, Pediatric Dental Hygienist, Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH)

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Dental Support Services and Allied Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5106) (CIP 5106, 553 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [University of the Pacific](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-the-pacific-3061) | Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $93,453 | $86,150 | $24,950 |
| [West Coast University-Orange County](https://www.collegesref.com/college/west-coast-university-orange-county-3204) | Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $83,943 | $85,797 | $28,250 |
| [Lake Washington Institute of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/lake-washington-institute-of-technology-1427) | Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $106,697 | $85,286 | $15,900 |
| [MCPHS University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/mcphs-university-1630) | Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $70,434 | $83,253 | $25,000 |
| [Foothill College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/foothill-college-989) | Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | not reported | $82,028 | $23,000 |
| [Community College of Denver](https://www.collegesref.com/college/community-college-of-denver-668) | Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | not reported | $81,896 | not reported |
| [University of Hawaii at Manoa Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-hawaii-at-manoa-main-campus-2915) | Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $76,939 | $79,863 | not reported |
| [Loma Linda University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/loma-linda-university-1516) | Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $82,823 | $79,207 | $20,000 |

## Related careers

- [Dental Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/dental-assistants): $48,070 median pay
- [Surgical Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/surgical-assistants): $66,800 median pay
- [Medical Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/medical-assistants): $45,690 median pay
- [Veterinary Technologists and Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/veterinary-technologists-and-technicians): $47,380 median pay
- [Ophthalmic Medical Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/ophthalmic-medical-technicians): $45,570 median pay
- [Surgical Technologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/surgical-technologists): $64,650 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.