Dental Hygienist salary in Santa Maria
Santa Maria–Santa Barbara, CA
The verified BLS median dental hygienist in the Santa Maria metro earns $135,990 ($65.38/hr). Santa Maria pays roughly 39% above the national median of $98,100.
Dental Hygienist pay in Santa Maria: the analysis
At a verified median of $135,990, dental hygienists in Santa Maria earn substantially above the U.S. median of $98,100 — a gap of about 39%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental hygienist pay, Santa Maria ranks 4th.
Compared with California as a whole (median $124,930), Santa Maria pays dental hygienists about 9% more — modestly above the statewide figure. Local demand, cost of labor, and the mix of practices drive most of that difference.
The pay range is wide: the lowest-paid tenth of dental hygienists in this metro area earn around $106,210, while the top tenth earn $151,030 or more — a spread of about $44,820. That gap reflects experience, practice setting, and local demand more than any single factor, so an individual offer can sit well above or below the midpoint.
The BLS counts roughly 260 dental hygienists employed in Santa Maria — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Santa Maria, a dental hygienist earns about 1.3× less than a general dentist and about 2.7× what a dental assistant earns ($170,940, $51,310 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Hygienist pay distribution — Santa Maria (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $106,210 | $51.06/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $122,690 | $58.99/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $135,990 | $65.38/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $138,370 | $66.52/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $151,030 | $72.61/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $130,790 | $62.88/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental hygienist make in Santa Maria?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental hygienist in the Santa Maria metro earns about $135,990 ($65.38/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Santa Maria dental hygienist pay compare to California overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Santa Maria metro median is about $135,990, versus the verified BLS OEWS California statewide median of about $124,930.
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