Dental Hygienist salary in Portland
Portland–South Portland, ME
The verified BLS median dental hygienist in the Portland metro earns $98,880 ($47.54/hr). Portland is about the national median ($98,100).
Dental Hygienist pay in Portland: the analysis
At a verified median of $98,880, dental hygienists in Portland earn in line with the U.S. median of $98,100 . Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental hygienist pay, Portland ranks 101st.
Compared with Maine as a whole (median $97,680), Portland tracks the statewide median closely. 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 $86,060, while the top tenth earn $112,320 or more — a spread of about $26,260. 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 500 dental hygienists employed in Portland — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Portland, a dental hygienist earns about 2.2× less than a general dentist and about 1.6× what a dental assistant earns ($221,190, $61,240 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Hygienist pay distribution — Portland (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $86,060 | $41.38/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $95,980 | $46.14/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $98,880 | $47.54/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $99,480 | $47.83/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $112,320 | $54.00/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $98,330 | $47.27/hr |
Estimate your pay
Open calculatorKnow a real number we don’t?
Submit your compensation anonymously. We review every entry and publish only de-identified aggregates above a sample-size threshold.
Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental hygienist make in Portland?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental hygienist in the Portland metro earns about $98,880 ($47.54/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Portland dental hygienist pay compare to Maine overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Portland metro median is about $98,880, versus the verified BLS OEWS Maine statewide median of about $97,680.
Last updated