SOC 29-1292 · Raleigh-Cary, NC metro

Dental Hygienists Salary in Raleigh, NC

The average salary for dental hygienists in Raleigh, North Carolina is $96,160 a year ($46.23 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $98,800: half of the 1,220 people in this job in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($98,990).

$96,160average per year

$46.23 / hourMedian $98,800Take-home ≈ $73,150

  • $75K10th
  • $98K25th
  • $99KMedian
  • $103K75th
  • $106K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

1,220people in this job
-3%vs U.S. average
#4 of 15North Carolina metros
98cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Dental Hygienists pay range in Raleigh

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $74,940 a year or less, while the top 10% make $105,730 or more. The middle half of dental hygienists in Raleigh earn between $97,680 and $103,040.

  • $75K10th
  • $98K25th
  • $99KMedian
  • $103K75th
  • $106K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$96,160$8,013$46.23
Median$98,800$8,233$47.50
Entry level (25th percentile)$97,680$8,140$46.96
Experienced (75th percentile)$103,040$8,587$49.54

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Dental Hygienists pay in Raleigh vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Dental hygienists in Raleigh earn about the same as the North Carolina average ($93,640) and about the same as the U.S. average ($98,990). At the median the gap is +1% against the U.S. median of $98,100.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Raleigh$96,160$98,800$74,940$105,7301,220
North Carolina$93,640$97,850$77,270$103,8506,690
United States$98,990$98,100$74,880$126,050222,740

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Dental Hygienists salary after taxes in Raleigh

On the average salary of $96,160, a single filer in Raleigh takes home about $73,150 a year, or $6,096 a month and $2,813 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

North Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Raleigh a good place for dental hygienists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Raleigh area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.2), so the average $96,160 buys what about $97,966 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Raleigh ($51,990). A typical home costs $438,364, or 4.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $96,160 is worth in another city

Dental Hygienists salary in other North Carolina cities

Raleigh ranks 4th of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Asheville pays the most ($99,200).

All Dental Hygienists salaries in North Carolina

Highest-paying cities for dental hygienists

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($180,520).

Dental Hygienists salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Dental Hygienists in Raleigh, NC.

Dental Hygienists salary in Raleigh: questions

How much do dental hygienists make an hour in Raleigh?

$46.23 an hour on average, and $47.50 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level dental hygienists salary in Raleigh?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $74,940 a year and the 25th percentile is $97,680, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the dental hygienists take-home pay in Raleigh?

About $73,150 a year ($6,096 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $96,160.

Do dental hygienists earn more in Raleigh than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($98,990).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-1292; area Raleigh-Cary, NC (39580). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.6%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.15, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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