Dental Hygienist salary in Providence
Providence–Warwick, RI-MA
The verified BLS median dental hygienist in the Providence metro earns $89,310 ($42.94/hr). Providence pays roughly 9% below the national median of $98,100.
Dental Hygienist pay in Providence: the analysis
At a verified median of $89,310, dental hygienists in Providence earn modestly below the U.S. median of $98,100 — a gap of about 9%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental hygienist pay, Providence ranks 204th.
Compared with Rhode Island as a whole (median $86,910), Providence pays dental hygienists about 3% more — slightly 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 $83,140, while the top tenth earn $104,280 or more — a spread of about $21,140. 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 1,250 dental hygienists employed in Providence — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Providence, a dental hygienist earns about 1.9× less than a general dentist and about 1.8× what a dental assistant earns ($172,310, $49,460 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Hygienist pay distribution — Providence (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $83,140 | $39.97/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $84,030 | $40.40/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $89,310 | $42.94/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $97,740 | $46.99/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $104,280 | $50.13/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $91,300 | $43.89/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental hygienist make in Providence?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental hygienist in the Providence metro earns about $89,310 ($42.94/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Providence dental hygienist pay compare to Rhode Island overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Providence metro median is about $89,310, versus the verified BLS OEWS Rhode Island statewide median of about $86,910.
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