Dental Hygienist salary in State College
State College, PA
The verified BLS median dental hygienist in the State College metro earns $78,530 ($37.76/hr). State College pays roughly 20% below the national median of $98,100.
Dental Hygienist pay in State College: the analysis
At a verified median of $78,530, dental hygienists in State College earn notably below the U.S. median of $98,100 — a gap of about 20%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental hygienist pay, State College ranks 342nd.
Compared with Pennsylvania as a whole (median $80,610), State College pays dental hygienists about 3% less than the statewide median. 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 $65,870, while the top tenth earn $93,470 or more — a spread of about $27,600. 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 130 dental hygienists employed in State College — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within State College, a dental hygienist earns about 2.1× less than a general dentist and about 1.7× what a dental assistant earns ($168,340, $46,210 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Hygienist pay distribution — State College (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $65,870 | $31.67/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $76,150 | $36.61/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $78,530 | $37.75/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $78,920 | $37.94/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $93,470 | $44.94/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $77,810 | $37.41/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental hygienist make in State College?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental hygienist in the State College metro earns about $78,530 ($37.76/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does State College dental hygienist pay compare to Pennsylvania overall?
The verified BLS OEWS State College metro median is about $78,530, versus the verified BLS OEWS Pennsylvania statewide median of about $80,610.
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