Becoming a Dental Hygienist via Online Education?
At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths.
Penn Foster Career School
is a US school (accredited) offering dental hygienist courses to train individuals
to become top-notch
dental hygienists,
dental assistants,
dental professionals,
dental hygienistss, etc.
Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 173,900 people employed as
dental hygienists alone in America, and their average annual salary is
$67,860.
Dentists, general make on average $156,850
per year and there are about 86,270
of them employed today.
Colleges and universities like Penn Foster Career School that provide online education are successfully launching workers into
this
field.
Typical Work Locations for a Dental Hygienist
- orthodontists
- dentists
- dental assistants
- prosthodontists
- respiratory therapists
- optometrists
- physician assistants
- surgical technologists
- chiropractors
- podiatrists
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as a Dental Hygienist
- hospital and medical benefits
- full time hours benefits
- excellent salary
- medical benefits
- health and dental insurance
- large dental practices and in a government capacity
- benefit of flexibility
- bonuses for exceeding goals
- dental benefits
- vision benefits
Potential Drawbacks
- deal with aggressive clients
- deal with frightened children
- work with people who have very poor oral hygiene
- relay bad news to a client
- work long hours
- repetitive job duties
- have no further job opportunities
- receive low wages
- suffer from a bad posture
- you may not receive good company benefits
Related Professions to Consider
- Dental Assistants
- Dental Office Manger
- Nurse Assistant
- Nurse
- Orthodontist
- Dentist
- Dental Receptionist
- Licensed Dental Hygienist
- Dentists Medical Assistants
- Physician Assistants
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be a Dental Hygienist
- Describe the people you find most difficult to work with.?
- Describe the people you work with best.?
- What will you do if you have a client that refuses to floss or take care of their teeth?
- Why do you want to be a dental hygienist?
- What role does humor play in your life Can you laugh at yourself?
- Any leadership roles in pre-dental groups?
- What do you think about HMO's and the changes taking place in medicine?
- What are you looking for in this profession?
- What do you think you will dislike the most about being a hygienist?
- Discuss a dental ethics issue.?
Common Collaborating Professions
- Doctor
- Nurse
- Dentist
- Dental Assistant
- Secretary
- Assistant
- Executive Assistant
- Administrator
- Dental Surgeon
- Orthodontist
Dental Hygienist Training books
Dental Hygienist (More) Popular books
Potential Companies to Work For
Common College Majors
- Dental Assisting Techniques
- Dental Office Management
- Dental Office Practice
- Dental Radiology
- Dental Records
- Dental Nursing
- Pre college math & Health Science
- Computer applications and English
- Dental Hygiene
- Biology
Dental Hygienist Salary Information
Category: Dentists, general
| Total # Employed in the US |
86,270 |
| Average Hourly Wage: |
$75.41/hr |
| Hourly Wage Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $33.55 |
$48.23 |
$68.31 |
$0.0 |
$0.0 |
|
| Average Yearly Salary |
$156,850 |
| Yearly Salary Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $69,790 |
$100,330 |
$142,090 |
$0 |
$0 |
|
| Employment Demographics |
| % OF WORKERS WITH |
| < High School Diploma |
High School Diploma |
Some College |
Associate Degree |
Bachelor Degree |
Master Degree |
Doctoral Degree |
| 0.1% |
0.4% |
0.3% |
0.4% |
1.2% |
1.5% |
96.2% |
|
Dentists, general — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
| STATE | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
|---|
| Michigan |
$99.02/hr
|
$205,960
|
| Alaska |
$96.02/hr
|
$199,720
|
| District of Columbia |
$95.56/hr
|
$198,770
|
| Pennsylvania |
$94.45/hr
|
$196,450
|
| Puerto Rico |
$94.14/hr
|
$195,800
|
| Oregon |
$93.08/hr
|
$193,600
|
| Virginia |
$91.17/hr
|
$189,640
|
| California |
$89.76/hr
|
$186,710
|
| North Carolina |
$87.85/hr
|
$182,720
|
| Alabama |
$85.48/hr
|
$177,810
|
| Tennessee |
$85.42/hr
|
$177,680
|
| Ohio |
$83.93/hr
|
$174,560
|
| Washington |
$83.43/hr
|
$173,530
|
| Nebraska |
$82.96/hr
|
$172,560
|
| Louisiana |
$82.85/hr
|
$172,320
|
| Kentucky |
$82.01/hr
|
$170,570
|
| Missouri |
$81.41/hr
|
$169,340
|
| New York |
$81.22/hr
|
$168,940
|
| Iowa |
$80.92/hr
|
$168,310
|
| Wisconsin |
$80.69/hr
|
$167,840
|
| Idaho |
$80.32/hr
|
$167,060
|
| Delaware |
$79.37/hr
|
$165,090
|
| Florida |
$79.05/hr
|
$164,430
|
| Nevada |
$77.91/hr
|
$162,050
|
| Arkansas |
$77.12/hr
|
$160,410
|
| South Carolina |
$77.04/hr
|
$160,250
|
| New Mexico |
$76.27/hr
|
$158,630
|
| Maine |
$75.93/hr
|
$157,930
|
| Montana |
$75.87/hr
|
$157,810
|
| North Dakota |
$74.1/hr
|
$154,130
|
| Wyoming |
$73.86/hr
|
$153,630
|
| Connecticut |
$71.91/hr
|
$149,560
|
| Maryland |
$71.84/hr
|
$149,430
|
| Oklahoma |
$71.81/hr
|
$149,370
|
| Colorado |
$71.46/hr
|
$148,650
|
| Hawaii |
$69.56/hr
|
$144,680
|
| Mississippi |
$69.38/hr
|
$144,320
|
| New Hampshire |
$68.79/hr
|
$143,080
|
| West Virginia |
$68.7/hr
|
$142,900
|
| Kansas |
$68.68/hr
|
$142,850
|
| Indiana |
$67.8/hr
|
$141,020
|
| Utah |
$67.02/hr
|
$139,400
|
| South Dakota |
$64.85/hr
|
$134,900
|
| Massachusetts |
$64.81/hr
|
$134,810
|
| New Jersey |
$59.25/hr
|
$123,230
|
| Guam |
$52.62/hr
|
$109,440
|
Category: Dentists, all other specialists
| Total # Employed in the US |
5,010 |
| Average Hourly Wage: |
$73.83/hr |
| Hourly Wage Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $26.56 |
$43.45 |
$73.7 |
$0.0 |
$0.0 |
|
| Average Yearly Salary |
$153,570 |
| Yearly Salary Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $55,250 |
$90,370 |
$153,290 |
$0 |
$0 |
|
| Employment Demographics |
| % OF WORKERS WITH |
| < High School Diploma |
High School Diploma |
Some College |
Associate Degree |
Bachelor Degree |
Master Degree |
Doctoral Degree |
| 0.1% |
0.4% |
0.3% |
0.4% |
1.2% |
1.5% |
96.2% |
|
Dentists, all other specialists — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
| STATE | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
|---|
| North Carolina |
$117.79/hr
|
$244,990
|
| Indiana |
$100.38/hr
|
$208,780
|
| Idaho |
$98.51/hr
|
$204,910
|
| Colorado |
$89.32/hr
|
$185,790
|
| New Hampshire |
$87.23/hr
|
$181,440
|
| New Mexico |
$87.17/hr
|
$181,310
|
| Utah |
$86.47/hr
|
$179,860
|
| South Carolina |
$82.35/hr
|
$171,290
|
| Arkansas |
$80.84/hr
|
$168,140
|
| Oregon |
$80.4/hr
|
$167,230
|
| Hawaii |
$75.52/hr
|
$157,080
|
| North Dakota |
$74.55/hr
|
$155,060
|
| Missouri |
$72.2/hr
|
$150,180
|
| Oklahoma |
$71.79/hr
|
$149,330
|
| Wyoming |
$70.07/hr
|
$145,740
|
| Wisconsin |
$69.42/hr
|
$144,390
|
| Montana |
$67.83/hr
|
$141,090
|
| Kansas |
$67.74/hr
|
$140,910
|
| Mississippi |
$66.54/hr
|
$138,410
|
| Ohio |
$64/hr
|
$133,120
|
| Washington |
$61.73/hr
|
$128,400
|
| Nebraska |
$55.11/hr
|
$114,640
|
| Kentucky |
$55.1/hr
|
$114,610
|
| California |
$49.66/hr
|
$103,300
|
| Maryland |
$42.8/hr
|
$89,020
|
Category: Dental hygienists
| Total # Employed in the US |
173,900 |
| Average Hourly Wage: |
$32.63/hr |
| Hourly Wage Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $21.59 |
$26.74 |
$32.38 |
$38.46 |
$44.64 |
|
| Average Yearly Salary |
$67,860 |
| Yearly Salary Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $44,900 |
$55,620 |
$67,340 |
$79,990 |
$92,860 |
|
| Employment Demographics |
| % OF WORKERS WITH |
| < High School Diploma |
High School Diploma |
Some College |
Associate Degree |
Bachelor Degree |
Master Degree |
Doctoral Degree |
| 0.4% |
2.6% |
5.4% |
56.3% |
30.5% |
1.8% |
3.1% |
|
Dental hygienists — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
| STATE | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
|---|
| Alaska |
$46.29/hr
|
$96,280
|
| Colorado |
$42.09/hr
|
$87,540
|
| New York |
$38.99/hr
|
$81,090
|
| Tennessee |
$37.27/hr
|
$77,520
|
| Missouri |
$37.22/hr
|
$77,420
|
| Florida |
$36.69/hr
|
$76,320
|
| North Dakota |
$36.56/hr
|
$76,050
|
| Arkansas |
$35.58/hr
|
$74,000
|
| North Carolina |
$35.52/hr
|
$73,870
|
| Delaware |
$35.16/hr
|
$73,140
|
| Ohio |
$35.14/hr
|
$73,080
|
| Connecticut |
$34.99/hr
|
$72,770
|
| Mississippi |
$34.55/hr
|
$71,860
|
| District of Columbia |
$34/hr
|
$70,720
|
| Virginia |
$33.5/hr
|
$69,670
|
| Nebraska |
$33.28/hr
|
$69,230
|
| Oklahoma |
$32.22/hr
|
$67,010
|
| Wyoming |
$32.11/hr
|
$66,800
|
| New Jersey |
$31.95/hr
|
$66,460
|
| Iowa |
$31.55/hr
|
$65,630
|
| Maine |
$31.37/hr
|
$65,250
|
| Indiana |
$31.29/hr
|
$65,080
|
| Michigan |
$31.21/hr
|
$64,920
|
| Guam |
$31.02/hr
|
$64,520
|
| Puerto Rico |
$30.98/hr
|
$64,430
|
| Kentucky |
$30.95/hr
|
$64,380
|
| New Mexico |
$30.77/hr
|
$64,000
|
| New Hampshire |
$30.76/hr
|
$63,980
|
| California |
$30.61/hr
|
$63,670
|
| Louisiana |
$30.37/hr
|
$63,170
|
| Idaho |
$30.03/hr
|
$62,450
|
| Oregon |
$29.85/hr
|
$62,080
|
| South Carolina |
$29.82/hr
|
$62,030
|
| South Dakota |
$29.14/hr
|
$60,610
|
| West Virginia |
$29.12/hr
|
$60,580
|
| Kansas |
$29.03/hr
|
$60,390
|
| Montana |
$28.67/hr
|
$59,640
|
| Hawaii |
$28.45/hr
|
$59,170
|
| Wisconsin |
$28.28/hr
|
$58,830
|
| Utah |
$28.09/hr
|
$58,430
|
| Pennsylvania |
$28.06/hr
|
$58,370
|
| Massachusetts |
$27.04/hr
|
$56,240
|
| Maryland |
$26.77/hr
|
$55,690
|
| Washington |
$26.67/hr
|
$55,470
|
| Nevada |
$23.63/hr
|
$49,140
|
| Alabama |
$20.66/hr
|
$42,970
|
