From compensation to staffing challenges, here are six things to know about the current dental hygienist landscape:
1. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, Calif., is the highest-paying metropolitan area for dental hygienists with an average salary of $125,750.
2. Alaska is the highest-paying state for dental hygienists.
3. As of August 2021, less than half of dental hygienists who left employment early in the pandemic returned to the workforce.
4. More than 33 percent of dental practices are recruiting dental hygienists, according to a survey from the American Dental Association.
5. More than 73 percent of dental practices reported recruiting dental hygienists to be extremely challenging, according to a survey from the American Dental Association.
6. Community relief services is the highest-paying industry for dental hygienists with a salary of $84,770.