Dental Hygienist salary in Washington

At a verified median of $131,160, dental hygienists in Washington earn substantially above the U.S. median of $98,100 — a gap of about 34%. Among the 51 states where the BLS reports dental hygienist pay, Washington ranks 3rd.

The pay range is wide: the lowest-paid tenth of dental hygienists in this state earn around $107,090, while the top tenth earn $162,050 or more — a spread of about $54,960. That gap reflects experience, practice setting, and demand more than any single factor, so an individual offer can sit well above or below the midpoint.

The BLS counts roughly 6,330 dental hygienists employed in Washington — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.

Within Washington, a dental hygienist earns about 1.3× less than a general dentist and about 2.3× what a dental assistant earns ($169,730, $58,090 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.

Within the state, dental hygienist pay is highest in Seattle at about $133,740 and lowest in Walla Walla at about $106,680. Metro-level demand and cost of living explain most of the in-state variation — see the metro breakdown below.