Best States to Be a Dental Hygienist in 2025 (Cost-of-Living Adjusted)
Sticker pay is a misleading way to compare states. For dental hygienists, a paycheck that looks identical on paper can buy far more in South Dakota than in New Jersey, because the two states' costs of living are worlds apart. We took the BLS median wage for dental hygienists in every state and adjusted it by that state's cost of living, so the numbers below reflect what the pay is actually worth where you'd spend it. For comparison, the U.S. median for dental hygienists is $94,260.
The 10 Best States for Dental Hygienist Pay (Cost-of-Living Adjusted)
| Rank | State | Adjusted median pay | Median pay (BLS) | Cost-of-living index | Sticker-pay rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $129,580 | $132,690 | 102.4 | 2 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $124,859 | $137,220 | 109.9 | 1 |
| 3 | Washington | $122,579 | $131,160 | 107.0 | 3 |
| 4 | Oregon | $118,066 | $122,080 | 103.4 | 5 |
| 5 | Nevada | $115,290 | $115,290 | 100.0 | 6 |
| 6 | California | $112,855 | $124,930 | 110.7 | 4 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $111,139 | $97,580 | 87.8 | 22 |
| 8 | Colorado | $106,285 | $109,580 | 103.1 | 7 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $105,446 | $103,970 | 98.6 | 11 |
| 10 | South Dakota | $104,074 | $92,210 | 88.6 | 33 |
How We Adjusted the Numbers
Median pay is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS state median annual wage for dental hygienists (SOC 29-1292, May 2025). Cost-of-living index is the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity (all items, 2024), where 100 equals the national average — a value of 90 means prices run about 10% below average, 110 about 10% above. Adjusted median pay = median pay × 100 ÷ the cost-of-living index, which restates each salary in national-average-price terms so states can be compared fairly.
Where a Big Paycheck Doesn't Go as Far
High headline wages don't always mean a better living. New Jersey ($107,040 median) ranks 9th on sticker pay but only 29th once its cost of living (109 vs 100) is counted. The same pattern hits other high-cost states, which is why the adjusted top of the list leans toward the Midwest and Mountain West rather than the coasts.
Full State-by-State Ranking
| Rank | State | Adjusted median pay | Median pay (BLS) | Cost-of-living index | Sticker-pay rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $129,580 | $132,690 | 102.4 | 2 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $124,859 | $137,220 | 109.9 | 1 |
| 3 | Washington | $122,579 | $131,160 | 107.0 | 3 |
| 4 | Oregon | $118,066 | $122,080 | 103.4 | 5 |
| 5 | Nevada | $115,290 | $115,290 | 100.0 | 6 |
| 6 | California | $112,855 | $124,930 | 110.7 | 4 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $111,139 | $97,580 | 87.8 | 22 |
| 8 | Colorado | $106,285 | $109,580 | 103.1 | 7 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $105,446 | $103,970 | 98.6 | 11 |
| 10 | South Dakota | $104,074 | $92,210 | 88.6 | 33 |
| 11 | Montana | $104,059 | $98,440 | 94.6 | 19 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $104,056 | $95,940 | 92.2 | 27 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $103,765 | $97,850 | 94.3 | 20 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $102,752 | $92,580 | 90.1 | 31 |
| 15 | Maryland | $102,695 | $107,830 | 105.0 | 8 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $102,593 | $96,540 | 94.1 | 26 |
| 17 | Texas | $102,204 | $99,240 | 97.1 | 17 |
| 18 | Missouri | $102,148 | $92,750 | 90.8 | 30 |
| 19 | Virginia | $101,830 | $102,950 | 101.1 | 12 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $101,719 | $90,530 | 89.0 | 36 |
| 21 | Maine | $100,701 | $97,680 | 97.0 | 21 |
| 22 | Arizona | $100,308 | $101,010 | 100.7 | 14 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $99,839 | $86,760 | 86.9 | 39 |
| 24 | Vermont | $99,459 | $97,470 | 98.0 | 24 |
| 25 | Georgia | $99,159 | $95,490 | 96.3 | 28 |
| 26 | Idaho | $99,110 | $94,650 | 95.5 | 29 |
| 27 | Delaware | $99,108 | $98,910 | 99.8 | 18 |
| 28 | Indiana | $98,960 | $92,330 | 93.3 | 32 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $98,382 | $107,040 | 108.8 | 9 |
| 30 | New York | $98,360 | $106,130 | 107.9 | 10 |
| 31 | Connecticut | $97,191 | $100,690 | 103.6 | 15 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $97,169 | $101,250 | 104.2 | 13 |
| 33 | Illinois | $96,670 | $96,670 | 100.0 | 25 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $96,644 | $85,240 | 88.2 | 40 |
| 35 | Ohio | $95,894 | $88,990 | 92.8 | 37 |
| 36 | Iowa | $95,683 | $84,010 | 87.8 | 44 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $95,123 | $100,640 | 105.8 | 16 |
| 38 | Utah | $92,133 | $91,120 | 98.9 | 35 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $92,100 | $84,640 | 91.9 | 42 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $91,834 | $85,130 | 92.7 | 41 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $90,011 | $84,340 | 93.7 | 43 |
| 42 | Florida | $88,956 | $91,980 | 103.4 | 34 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $88,700 | $97,570 | 110.0 | 23 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $87,395 | $78,830 | 90.2 | 47 |
| 45 | Michigan | $87,100 | $83,790 | 96.2 | 45 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | $84,956 | $86,910 | 102.3 | 38 |
| 47 | Pennsylvania | $82,592 | $80,610 | 97.6 | 46 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $82,503 | $73,840 | 89.5 | 48 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $77,333 | $67,280 | 87.0 | 49 |
| 50 | Alabama | $68,874 | $61,160 | 88.8 | 50 |
Sources & Reuse
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), state medians for SOC 29-1292. Cost of living: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (2024). Figures describe current workers, not entry-level offers; verify locally before making a move.
Free to cite or reference with attribution: Human Work Guide, “Best States to Be a Dental Hygienist in 2025 (Cost-of-Living Adjusted),” 2026. https://humanworkguide.com/guides/best-states-for-dental-hygienists