SOC 29-1292 · Wilmington, NC metro

Dental Hygienists Salary in Wilmington, NC

The average salary for dental hygienists in Wilmington, North Carolina is $92,880 a year ($44.66 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $96,700: half of the 440 people in this job in the Wilmington, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 7% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($100,308).

$92,880average per year

$44.66 / hourMedian $96,700Take-home ≈ $70,974

  • $81K10th
  • $83K25th
  • $97KMedian
  • $101K75th
  • $104K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

440people in this job
-7%vs U.S. metro average
#7 of 15North Carolina metros
96cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Dental Hygienists pay range in Wilmington

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $80,730 a year or less, while the top 10% make $103,970 or more. The middle half of dental hygienists in Wilmington earn between $82,920 and $100,910.

  • $81K10th
  • $83K25th
  • $97KMedian
  • $101K75th
  • $104K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$92,880$7,740$44.65
Median$96,700$8,058$46.49
Entry level (25th percentile)$82,920$6,910$39.87
Experienced (75th percentile)$100,910$8,409$48.51

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

Dental Hygienists salary after taxes in Wilmington

On the average salary of $92,880, a single filer in Wilmington takes home about $70,974 a year, or $5,914 a month and $2,730 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).

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

Prices in the Wilmington area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 96.4), so the average $92,880 buys what about $96,327 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Wilmington ($45,800). A typical home costs $446,210, or 4.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $92,880 is worth in another city

Dental Hygienists salary in other North Carolina cities

Wilmington ranks 7th 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 Wilmington, NC.

Dental Hygienists salary in Wilmington: questions

How much do dental hygienists make an hour in Wilmington?

$44.66 an hour on average, and $46.49 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $80,730 a year and the 25th percentile is $82,920, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $70,974 a year ($5,914 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $92,880.

Do dental hygienists earn more in Wilmington than elsewhere?

The average here is 7% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($100,308).

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 Wilmington, NC (48900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.9%.
  • 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 1.61, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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