Knowing how much to expect as a Dental Hygiene Salary is an important factor in selecting dental hygiene as a professional career. The salary is based on the education and training acquired to assist the dentist that is their supervisor and employer.
The vital work that a dental hygienist performs complements the full regimen of preventive dental care that patients receive upon routine dental check-ups and emergency visits that also maintain proper oral health. The hygienist assists with teeth cleaning, removal of both soft and hard tartar and plaque, treatment processes and teaching proper oral hygiene care to patients for healthy oral management between regular dental appointments. All the preparation, education, training and work experience related to this job description makes the dental hygienist vital to the dentist they serve and worth the salary they earn.
The salary of a dental hygienist is strongly based on the advanced degree of education and training that cumulates with a degree. Other variables that affect the salary are geographical location, area of employment, and a creditable work experience history in the dental hygienist field. There are part and full time hygienists and pay can be incrementally set up on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or commission basis.
Primarily, more than 95% of dental hygienists work in dental offices and earn the median salary of about $69,000. The next most populous number of dental hygienists work in medical doctor’s offices, which totals approximately 1,500.
These hygienists earn about $63,000 annually, which is less than those working in dental offices. Additionally, there are about 1,500 working in employment services that earn about $65,000, which is more than those working in medical doctor offices. This range of salaries based on the area of work is important to consider when choosing which professional area to practice.
It is easy to track the pattern of salary levels according to the number of dental hygienists located in one’s particular state. Within the United States the most isolative states have the highest paying dental hygienists and the more centrally located states with lots of dental hygienists have the lowest paid. The range can be from the $90,000 plus to $60,000 or lower. One should research the salary range throughout the United States to determine the best places to practice.
Therefore, a major determinant of the dental hygiene salary is where one goes to school and the length of education and training acquired for maximum earning power. One must be a high school graduate and pass the college entrance exam for those schools requiring it. This requires researching the best educational facilities, state requirements and associated practicums, work shadowing and on-the-job experiential opportunities available. The cost of the education and training should be commiserate with the preparation for the best employment opportunities. One must make sure the educational path they choose is approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. Also, one must be pass the clinical and written examination by the state in which you want to be licensed.
Finally, one should be careful to examine the successful job placement and networking leveraging opportunities for graduates of the schools and institutions that prepare dental hygienists for the world of work. The loans, grants, scholarships and savings spent for college and vocational higher learning institutes for dental hygiene must be wisely chosen to garner success. Protect your goal of achieving the best education, training and experience path to maximizing your Dental Hygiene Salary growth as a top dental hygienist by doing the preparatory homework necessary to make sound decisions.