National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
Compare a different job:
VS
QUICK ANSWER
Lawyers earn a national median of $145,760/year vs Dental Hygienists at $81,400/year. Lawyers earn 44% more nationally. The gap is $64,360 per year — or $5,363 per month.
Built by Pierre — MBA, Business Strategist & AI Consultant, Founder of DayblipAbout the author →
Lawyer
$145,760
national median/year
$12,147/mo • $70/hr
VS
Dental Hygienist
$81,400
national median/year
$6,783/mo • $39/hr
Annual salary gap
$64,360
Lawyers earn 44% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $729,540.
Best states for Dental Hygienists
vs Lawyers
Alaska+$-15,920
Hawaii+$-15,920
South Dakota+$-25,920
Oregon+$-27,920
Montana+$-29,920
Best states for Lawyers
vs Dental Hygienists
New York+$95,920
Massachusetts+$71,920
Texas+$71,920
Illinois+$67,920
New Jersey+$65,920
Share Your Result
Surprised by this number? Share it with friends and family
Lawyers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Lawyers is $145,760 versus $81,400 for Dental Hygienists — a difference of $64,360 per year or $5,363 per month.
The national median salary gap between Lawyers and Dental Hygienists is $64,360 per year. Lawyers earn 44% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $729,540.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, New York pays Lawyers the highest median salary at $188,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Dental Hygienists the highest median salary at $114,400 per year.
Salary is one factor — Lawyers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Lawyers and Dental Hygienists 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, Lawyers earn approximately $70 per hour nationally and Dental Hygienists earn approximately $39 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.
