National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Dental Hygienists earn a national median of $81,400/year vs Nurses at $89,010/year. Nurses earn 9% more nationally. The gap is $7,610 per year — or $634 per month.
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Dental Hygienist
$81,400
national median/year
$6,783/mo • $39/hr
VS
Nurse
$89,010
national median/year
$7,418/mo • $43/hr
Annual salary gap
$7,610
Nurses earn 9% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $86,262.
Best states for Nurses
vs Dental Hygienists
California+$17,070
Connecticut+$10,920
New York+$6,920
Mississippi+$3,920
New Mexico+$3,920
Best states for Dental Hygienists
vs Nurses
New Hampshire+$6,080
Utah+$6,080
Virginia+$6,080
Alaska+$4,160
Indiana+$4,080
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Nurses earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Dental Hygienists is $81,400 versus $89,010 for Nurses — a difference of $7,610 per year or $634 per month.
The national median salary gap between Dental Hygienists and Nurses is $7,610 per year. Nurses earn 9% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $86,262.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Dental Hygienists the highest median salary at $114,400 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Nurses the highest median salary at $131,470 per year.
Salary is one factor — Nurses earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Dental Hygienists and Registered Nurses both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Dental Hygienists earn approximately $39 per hour nationally and Nurses earn approximately $43 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
