Dental Hygienist Salary in North Carolina
What dental hygienists earn across North Carolina, and what they keep after tax, rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $97,850
- Median hourly wage
- $47.04
- Top 10% earn
- $103,850
- Kept after costs
- $41,723
Pay range
Half of North Carolina's 6,690 dental hygienists earn more than $97,850 a year, and half earn less. The US median for the same job is $98,100.
Pay over time
In North Carolina, dental hygienist pay rose 44% from 2015 to 2025, or 6% after inflation.
Yearly figures, 2015 to 2025
| May | Median pay | In 2025 dollars | US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $67,750 | $92,026 | $72,330 |
| 2016 | $68,760 | $92,234 | $72,910 |
| 2017 | $70,030 | $91,978 | $74,070 |
| 2018 | $70,720 | $90,670 | $74,820 |
| 2019 | $71,450 | $89,975 | $76,220 |
| 2020 | $72,020 | $89,588 | $77,090 |
| 2021 | $76,820 | $91,271 | $77,810 |
| 2022 | $79,200 | $87,126 | $81,400 |
| 2023 | $81,230 | $85,826 | $87,530 |
| 2024 | $89,720 | $92,081 | $94,260 |
| 2025 | $97,850 | $97,850 | $98,100 |
BLS designs these estimates as yearly snapshots and cautions against reading small year-to-year changes as trends. 2025 dollars use the CPI-U annual average.
What a dental hygienist keeps in North Carolina
The median salary, after federal, payroll and state taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $97,850
- Federal income tax
- −$12,697
- Payroll taxes
- −$7,486
- State income tax
- −$3,395
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$15,384
- Everyday costs
- −$17,165
a year, or $3,477 a month
Wages: BLS OEWS. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, statewide. Taxes: 2026 federal and state schedules, single filer.
At three pay levels
Half of dental hygienists in North Carolina earn between the lower and higher pay shown here. Same statewide rent, everyday costs and taxes.
| Pay level | Salary | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-paid (25th percentile) | $84,150 | $32,632 |
| Typical (median) | $97,850 | $41,723 |
| Higher-paid (75th percentile) | $100,930 | $43,767 |
Compare cities in North Carolina
Pay and rent change from city to city. Here is what a dental hygienist keeps in each North Carolina city we cover, using local pay and rent.
| City | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Durham | $101,460 | $40,448 |
| Winston-Salem | $95,930 | $40,154 |
| Raleigh | $98,800 | $38,647 |
| Charlotte | $98,390 | $35,660 |
| Greensboro | $84,250 | $33,008 |
Workers and pay are BLS metro-area estimates; the middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
Try a city with your own salary
- Median salary
- $101,460
- Federal income tax
- −$13,491
- Payroll taxes
- −$7,762
- State income tax
- −$3,540
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$19,032
- Everyday costs
- −$17,187
a year, or $3,371 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS metro estimates. Rent: HUD FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 schedules, single filer.
Dental hygienist pay in other states
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, North Carolina comes 18 of 50. The ten states where a dental hygienist keeps the most:
Compare this job in two places: any two cities or states, at three pay levels.
Dental hygienist salary by state
Pay and what's kept for dental hygienists in every other state we cover, A–Z.
Other jobs in North Carolina
The 10 jobs closest to a dental hygienist in what they keep: median pay and what's left after the same costs.
| Job | You keep |
|---|---|
| Financial analyst$3,012 more | $44,735 |
| Project manager$1,971 more | $43,694 |
| Civil engineer$1,911 more | $43,634 |
| Mechanical engineer$1,905 more | $43,628 |
| Physical therapist$1,367 more | $43,090 |
| Occupational therapist$3,259 less | $38,464 |
| Speech-language pathologist$7,558 less | $34,165 |
| Registered nurse$8,959 less | $32,764 |
| Accountant$10,485 less | $31,238 |
| Respiratory therapist$11,786 less | $29,937 |
Moving for a job?
Questions people ask
How much does a dental hygienist make in North Carolina?
The median dental hygienist salary in North Carolina is $97,850 a year ($47.04 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $77,270 and the top 10% earn over $103,850 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What does a dental hygienist take home in North Carolina?
On the median salary, a dental hygienist in North Carolina pays about $23,578 in federal, payroll and state taxes. After a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, they keeps $41,723 a year.
Where in North Carolina do dental hygienists keep the most?
Of the North Carolina cities we cover, dental hygienists keep the most in Durham: a median salary of $101,460 and a $1,586 1-bedroom leave $40,448 a year after taxes and everyday costs.
Which states are best for dental hygienists after costs?
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, North Carolina comes 18 of 50. The top states are Alaska ($68,401), Washington ($60,324), Nevada ($55,960).
Do dental hygienists in North Carolina earn more than the US average?
No. The North Carolina median of $97,850 is $250 below the US median of $98,100.
Sources and method
Occupation codes (SOC): 29-1292. Statewide figures use the state median wage, a population-weighted statewide rent and state price levels; city figures use metro wages and city rents.
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate