Dental Hygienist salary in Des Moines
Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA
The verified BLS median dental hygienist in the Des Moines metro earns $93,660 ($45.03/hr). Des Moines pays roughly 5% below the national median of $98,100.
Dental Hygienist pay in Des Moines: the analysis
At a verified median of $93,660, dental hygienists in Des Moines earn modestly below the U.S. median of $98,100 — a gap of about 5%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental hygienist pay, Des Moines ranks 168th.
Compared with Iowa as a whole (median $84,010), Des Moines pays dental hygienists about 11% 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 $74,630, while the top tenth earn $96,060 or more — a spread of about $21,430. 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 750 dental hygienists employed in Des Moines — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Des Moines, a dental hygienist earns about 2.2× less than a general dentist and about 1.9× what a dental assistant earns ($209,300, $50,020 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Hygienist pay distribution — Des Moines (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $74,630 | $35.88/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $83,010 | $39.91/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $93,660 | $45.03/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $94,500 | $45.43/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $96,060 | $46.18/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $88,400 | $42.50/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental hygienist make in Des Moines?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental hygienist in the Des Moines metro earns about $93,660 ($45.03/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Des Moines dental hygienist pay compare to Iowa overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Des Moines metro median is about $93,660, versus the verified BLS OEWS Iowa statewide median of about $84,010.
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