Nearly half of all dental hygienists are satisfied with their total compensation and benefits, according to Dentalpost's 2024 Dental Salary Survey.
Dentalpost surveyed 1,802 registered dental hygienists from July to October 2023 for this year's report.
The average annual full-time income of dental hygienists who responded to the survey was $79,340, an increase of 7.57% from 2022. The average hourly rate for full-time dental hygienists increased by 7.85% to reach $45.75.
The percentage of dental hygienists receiving employee benefits also increased by 19%. The top benefits dental hygienists received in 2023 included paid vacation, paid holidays, retirement and dental insurance.
Here are dental hygienists' satisfaction levels for pay and benefits:
Benefits
Very satisfied: 16.32%
Satisfied: 31.32%
Neutral: 23.76%
Dissatisfied: 19.51%
Very dissatisfied: 9.07%
Total compensation
Very satisfied: 13.27%
Satisfied: 36.36%
Neutral: 23.1%
Dissatisfied: 22.17%
Very dissatisfied: 5.1%