Dental Hygienist salary in Denver
Denver–Aurora–Centennial, CO
The verified BLS median dental hygienist in the Denver metro earns $113,760 ($54.69/hr). Denver pays roughly 16% above the national median of $98,100.
Dental Hygienist pay in Denver: the analysis
At a verified median of $113,760, dental hygienists in Denver earn notably above the U.S. median of $98,100 — a gap of about 16%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental hygienist pay, Denver ranks 45th.
Compared with Colorado as a whole (median $109,580), Denver pays dental hygienists about 4% 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 $100,890, while the top tenth earn $128,020 or more — a spread of about $27,130. 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 2,100 dental hygienists employed in Denver — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Denver, a dental hygienist earns about 1.5× less than a general dentist and about 2.3× what a dental assistant earns ($168,620, $49,490 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Hygienist pay distribution — Denver (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $100,890 | $48.50/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $103,360 | $49.69/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $113,760 | $54.69/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $126,860 | $60.99/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $128,020 | $61.55/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $110,600 | $53.17/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental hygienist make in Denver?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental hygienist in the Denver metro earns about $113,760 ($54.69/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Denver dental hygienist pay compare to Colorado overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Denver metro median is about $113,760, versus the verified BLS OEWS Colorado statewide median of about $109,580.
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