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Dental Hygienists in Texas

Dental Hygienists in Texas

Considering working as a Dental Hygienists in Texas? Here’s what the data says. Administer oral hygiene care to patients. Assess patient oral hygiene problems or needs and maintain health records. Advise patients on oral health maintenance and disease prevention. May provide advanced care such as providing fluoride treatment or administering topical anesthesia.

What do Dental Hygienists Make in Texas?

For a dental hygienists working in Texas, the typical annual salary is $94,490 per year (or roughly $45.43/hour).Earnings range from $48,390 at the 10th percentile to $110,560 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic Annual Hourly
10th percentile $48,390 $23.26
25th percentile $82,830 $39.82
Median (50th) $94,490 $45.43
75th percentile $103,420 $49.72
90th percentile $110,560 $53.16
Salary ranges for Dental Hygienists in Texas

The job concentration index in Texas nationwide is 0.81, suggesting fewer dental hygienists per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, dental hygienists earn a median of $101,356 per year ($48.73/hour), below the Texas median.

Dental Hygienists earnings in Texas vs. the national average

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 3,471,633 dental hygienists in the U.S.. In Texas alone, about 16,010 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 2,840 dental hygienists.

Dental Hygienists in Texas vs. the average state Forecasted number of jobs for Dental Hygienists

Top Texas Metros for Dental Hygienists

The metro areas below employ the most dental hygienists in Texas.

Metro Area Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 6,230 $90,690
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 3,900 $103,050
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 1,090 $100,880
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 1,090 $85,840
El Paso, TX 340 $82,800
Corpus Christi, TX 200 $91,850
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 190 $75,450
Tyler, TX 190 $84,030
Killeen-Temple, TX 180 $91,470
Lubbock, TX 170 $83,060
Sherman-Denison, TX 150 $96,640
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 140 $93,830
Amarillo, TX 130 $82,500
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 130 $76,400
College Station-Bryan, TX 130 $81,360
Longview, TX 130 $83,420
Waco, TX 120 $92,680
Abilene, TX 80 $82,060
Laredo, TX 70 $77,340
San Angelo, TX 60 $81,100
Texarkana, TX-AR 60 $81,400
Victoria, TX 50 $82,750
Wichita Falls, TX 50 $82,180

Top States for Dental Hygienists Employment

View the states that employ the most dental hygienists work.

State Number Employed
California 22,940
Texas 16,010
Florida 13,860
New York 10,350
Illinois 8,740
Pennsylvania 8,640
Ohio 8,500
Michigan 8,320
Georgia 7,360
North Carolina 7,030
Massachusetts 6,780
New Jersey 6,030
Wisconsin 5,620
Washington 5,140
Indiana 5,110
Arizona 5,040
Minnesota 4,660
Tennessee 4,550
Colorado 4,470
Utah 3,940

Highest-Paying States for Dental Hygienists

These states pay the most for dental hygienists.

State Annual Median Salary
Alaska $129,760
District of Columbia $127,900
Washington $125,370
California $121,080
Oregon $118,280
Colorado $106,730
Maryland $105,140
Nevada $103,160
New Jersey $102,600
Massachusetts $100,790

Skills

The most important dental hygienists skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Active Listening  3.8 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.5 / 5
0
5
Critical Thinking  3.5 / 5
0
5
Social Perceptiveness  3.1 / 5
0
5
Writing  3.1 / 5
0
5
Monitoring  3.1 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Medicine and Dentistry  4.6 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  3.9 / 5
0
5
Psychology  3.0 / 5
0
5
English Language  2.8 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  2.6 / 5
0
5
Computers and Electronics  2.6 / 5
0
5

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for dental hygienists, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Problem Sensitivity  3.9 / 5
0
5
Near Vision  3.9 / 5
0
5
Arm-Hand Steadiness  3.9 / 5
0
5
Finger Dexterity  3.9 / 5
0
5
Oral Expression  3.8 / 5
0
5
Oral Comprehension  3.8 / 5
0
5

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, dental hygienists typically:

  • Record and review patient medical histories.
  • Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
  • Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
  • Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
  • Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.
  • Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
  • Expose and develop x-ray film.
  • Attend continuing education courses to maintain or update skills.
  • Apply fluorides or other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay.
  • Maintain dental equipment and sharpen and sterilize dental instruments.
  • Maintain patient recall system.
  • Feel lymph nodes under patient's chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate presence of oral cancer.

Work Activities

  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  • Assisting and Caring for Others
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
  • Documenting/Recording Information
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
  • Handling and Moving Objects
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Getting Information
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Henry Schein Dentrix

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Related college programs include:

  • Dental Support Services

Other careers like dental hygienists include:

Also Known As

Dental Hygienist, Dental Nurse, Dental Treatment Coordinator, Hygienist, Licensed Dental Hygienist, Oral Hygienist, Pediatric Dental Hygienist, Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH).

References

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