Average Salary for Dental Hygienists

There are various modes of payments for dental hygienists including salary based earnings, payment depending on performance and hourly payments. 

A Closer Look at How Dental Hygienists are Paid

· Hourly Payment with an Additional Commission- this is where the dental hygienist is entitled to a monthly salary with an additional incentive for their efficient performance. 

· Straight Commission- this type of payment mode is helpful in cases where the dental hygienist is placed in a situation that may carry some financial risk. When a new dental clinic opens and they are looking to protect their capital, the owner may offer a commission based payment structure to the hygienist. With this type of financial arrangement, the hygienist is in a position of earning up to 33% of the hygiene production which is higher compared to hourly payment mode. 

· Hourly with a Bonus Payment Mode- in this case the dental hygienist is offered bonuses which in most cases is 10-20 percent of the total services offered and billed for. The bonuses act as an incentive to motivate the hygienist to improve her efficiency. 

Latest National Statistics on Dental Hygienist Compensation

In statistics released in 2015 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary of a dental hygienist was $72,330 with the best-paid pocketing $97,390 and the lowest paid taking home an average of $49,190. Considering these statistics, dental hygienists have an attractive starting salary. This is especially true for hygienists who work part-time; just under 50% of hygienists don't work full-time. 

The Department of Labor states that the ambulatory healthcare service in the dental industry was the best-paid department. Practitioners in this department earned a salary of $83,360 annually. 

Geographical Compensation for Dental Hygienists

Geographical location also determines how much a dental hygienist makes with some states paying more than others do. In the District of Columbia, for instance, the average annual salary for a full-time hygienist is currently $93,920, followed by Washington, which pays an average of $92,610.

Dental hygienists practicing in metropolitan areas of California State including Sacramento & San Francisco are compensated more than the rest of the state. Other metropolitan areas of the state that enjoy better compensation include Corvallis, Santa Cruz, and Oregon. In Washington, the Mount Vernon area hygienists enjoy better compensation too. 

Compensation in California

Dental hygienists in California are most often paid either in hourly or monthly basis. The hourly wages start from $32.17 up to $58.53. The median hourly rate in this case being $46.45. The typical average dental hygienist salary in the State ranges from $66,910 going up to $121,730. The average salary of a full-time hygienist, as of 2015, is $96,910. 

Dental Hygiene Educational Requirements

To venture in the field, a student is required to hold a degree in dental hygiene. Additionally, each state requires that every dental hygienist be licensed. Other requirements, though not a mandatory, are certificates, bachelor’s and master’s degrees. 

To work in a private dental clinic, a hygienist is required to possess at least an associate degree or certificate in dental hygiene. For students interested in working in research, teaching, clinical practice, or private or public health programs, a master's or bachelor’s degree is usually required. 

2016 LVN Salary Survey

From 2015 to 2016, the average LVN salary rose just over 2.5%; the median hourly rate nationwide now sits at $21.27. BLS had their 2015 pay at $20.76, with rated increases in 23 of the 30 metropolitan areas surveyed. Texas saw the largest increase, now sitting at $22.77.

Licensed Vocational Nurses in California are still seeing their pay stuck near the bottom. The for-profit LVN programs are still popping up like crazy, all over the place. Paying 40k and dedicating 12-18 months for a 20/hr gig. Yikes. Even at that cost, their classes stay jam-packed. Thankfully a few scammy ones have been shut down recently, but over 80% of the 150 or so accredited LVN programs listed on the BVNPT site are for-profit. California Community Colleges are dropping their LVN programs left and right(5 shut down their programs in 2016), as are District Adult Schools.

LVN Salary in Bakersfield, Ca

Pay for newly licensed LVN's in Bakersfield is still below the State and National averages. 2016 saw the starting salary at $19.18. Pay for LVN's at Kaiser Permanente facilities are still the exception when it comes to pay and benefits: The average pay for LVN's at the Kern County Kaiser outpatient clinics averages just under $31.00/hour. Kaiser is still contracting with San Joaquin Community Hospital for inpatient services.

Fresno County LVN Pay

The average hourly rate for LVN's in Fresno County went from $23.10 in 2014 to $24.34 in 2016. Community Regional Medical Center remains the largest employer of nurses, both LVN and RN, in the San Joaquin Valley. Most of the LVN's work at the Subacute & Transitional Care Center in Fresno.

Fresno City College still has the LVN-RN bridge program. LVN's used to go in 3rd semester, but now have to go in 2nd semester. Regardless, it remains a popular bridge program. With the average RN hourly rate currently sitting at $42.29, many LVN's are willing to put in the 3 semesters. The 169 bed inpatient facility at Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center still offers the highest pay for both LVN's and RN's.

States with the Highest & Lowest LVN Pay

Connecticut remains the highest paying state with an average of $25.93/hour. Nevada still has the number 2 spot with a mean wage of $25.23/hour. West Virginia and Mississippi are tied for dead last with a mean wage of $14.15/hour.

States with the Most & Least Jobs

Texas leads with the most LVN positions - just under 10% of all positions in the country. California is a close 2nd with 9% of all positions for LVN's. At the bottom of the barrel are Alaska and Wyoming, both with under 1% of all positions.

Job Outlook for LVN's

Nationwide, there are 719,900 LVN's with up-to-date licensure. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is forecasting a net positive change of 117,300 LVN jobs through 2024. This is substantially lower than the 28% prospective increase for other allied healthcare positions such as surgical techs, ultrasound technologists, and cardiovascular techs.