National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Registered Nurses earn a national median of $93,600/year vs Dental Hygienists at $81,400/year. Registered Nurses earn 13% more nationally. The gap is $12,200 per year — or $1,017 per month.
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Registered Nurse
$93,600
national median/year
$7,800/mo • $45/hr
VS
Dental Hygienist
$81,400
national median/year
$6,783/mo • $39/hr
Annual salary gap
$12,200
Registered Nurses earn 13% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $138,291.
Best states for Dental Hygienists
vs Registered Nurses
Utah+$-1,200
North Dakota+$-2,800
Iowa+$-3,200
Tennessee+$-3,200
Oklahoma+$-3,600
Best states for Registered Nurses
vs Dental Hygienists
California+$18,900
Connecticut+$16,800
New York+$16,400
New Jersey+$14,000
Massachusetts+$11,600
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Registered Nurses earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Registered Nurses is $93,600 versus $81,400 for Dental Hygienists — a difference of $12,200 per year or $1,017 per month.
The national median salary gap between Registered Nurses and Dental Hygienists is $12,200 per year. Registered Nurses earn 13% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $138,291.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Registered Nurses the highest median salary at $133,300 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 — Registered Nurses earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Registered Nurses 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, Registered Nurses earn approximately $45 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.
