Dental Hygienist salary in Charleston
Charleston–North Charleston, SC
The verified BLS median dental hygienist in the Charleston metro earns $94,570 ($45.46/hr). Charleston pays roughly 4% below the national median of $98,100.
Dental Hygienist pay in Charleston: the analysis
At a verified median of $94,570, dental hygienists in Charleston earn modestly below the U.S. median of $98,100 — a gap of about 4%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental hygienist pay, Charleston ranks 157th.
Compared with South Carolina as a whole (median $84,340), Charleston pays dental hygienists about 12% more — notably 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 $80,180, while the top tenth earn $97,710 or more — a spread of about $17,530. 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 540 dental hygienists employed in Charleston — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Charleston, a dental hygienist earns about 1.3× less than a general dentist and about 1.9× what a dental assistant earns ($121,090, $49,040 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Hygienist pay distribution — Charleston (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $80,180 | $38.55/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $86,300 | $41.49/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $94,570 | $45.47/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $97,130 | $46.70/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $97,710 | $46.98/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $91,920 | $44.19/hr |
South Carolina context
South Carolina verified median: $84,340.
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental hygienist make in Charleston?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental hygienist in the Charleston metro earns about $94,570 ($45.46/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Charleston dental hygienist pay compare to South Carolina overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Charleston metro median is about $94,570, versus the verified BLS OEWS South Carolina statewide median of about $84,340.
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