Dental Hygienists
Administer oral hygiene care to patients. Assess patient oral hygiene problems or needs and maintain health records. Advise patients on oral health maintenance and disease prevention. May provide advanced care such as providing fluoride treatment or administering topical anesthesia.
- O*NET-SOC code
29-1292.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$98,100
Employment, U.S.222,740
Median hourly wage$47.16
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $74,880 | $83,570 | $98,100 | $108,480 | $126,050 |
By state (50)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3,170 | $61,160 | 1.05 |
| Alaska | 790 | $132,690 | 1.70 |
| Arizona | 4,530 | $101,010 | 0.98 |
| Arkansas | 1,740 | $86,760 | 0.93 |
| California | 24,500 | $124,930 | 0.94 |
| Colorado | 4,270 | $109,580 | 1.04 |
| Connecticut | 3,240 | $100,690 | 1.33 |
| Delaware | 750 | $98,910 | 1.09 |
| District of Columbia | 320 | $137,220 | 0.31 |
| Florida | 11,980 | $91,980 | 0.84 |
| Georgia | 7,440 | $95,490 | 1.06 |
| Hawaii | 830 | $97,570 | 0.92 |
| Idaho | 2,060 | $94,650 | 1.68 |
| Illinois | 8,970 | $96,670 | 1.03 |
| Indiana | 5,020 | $92,330 | 1.09 |
| Iowa | 2,440 | $84,010 | 1.09 |
| Kentucky | 2,070 | $78,830 | 0.72 |
| Louisiana | 2,690 | $85,240 | 0.97 |
| Maine | 1,060 | $97,680 | 1.16 |
| Maryland | 3,500 | $107,830 | 0.88 |
| Massachusetts | 6,850 | $100,640 | 1.31 |
| Michigan | 8,640 | $83,790 | 1.37 |
| Minnesota | 4,110 | $103,970 | 0.97 |
| Mississippi | 1,140 | $67,280 | 0.68 |
| Missouri | 3,810 | $92,750 | 0.91 |
| Montana | 860 | $98,440 | 1.17 |
| Nebraska | 1,280 | $92,580 | 0.88 |
| Nevada | 1,510 | $115,290 | 0.68 |
| New Hampshire | 1,360 | $101,250 | 1.39 |
| New Jersey | 7,230 | $107,040 | 1.18 |
| New Mexico | 1,420 | $95,940 | 1.14 |
| New York | 13,660 | $106,130 | 0.98 |
| North Carolina | 6,690 | $97,850 | 0.95 |
| North Dakota | 660 | $90,530 | 1.08 |
| Ohio | 8,630 | $88,990 | 1.09 |
| Oklahoma | 2,860 | $97,580 | 1.17 |
| Oregon | 3,600 | $122,080 | 1.28 |
| Pennsylvania | 7,970 | $80,610 | 0.92 |
| Rhode Island | 770 | $86,910 | 1.07 |
| South Carolina | 3,160 | $84,340 | 0.96 |
| South Dakota | 630 | $92,210 | 0.96 |
| Tennessee | 4,570 | $84,640 | 0.97 |
| Texas | 16,380 | $99,240 | 0.81 |
| Utah | 3,780 | $91,120 | 1.52 |
| Vermont | 560 | $97,470 | 1.28 |
| Virginia | 3,770 | $102,950 | 0.64 |
| Washington | 6,330 | $131,160 | 1.24 |
| West Virginia | 1,250 | $73,840 | 1.25 |
| Wisconsin | 5,080 | $96,540 | 1.21 |
| Wyoming | 500 | $85,130 | 1.24 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | 3 | 0.961 |
| 2 | Prosthodontists | 5 | 0.959 |
| 3 | Surgical Technologists | 3 | 0.955 |
| 4 | Ophthalmic Medical Technicians | 3 | 0.953 |
| 5 | Dentists, General | 5 | 0.953 |
| 6 | Surgical Assistants | 3 | 0.953 |
| 7 | Ophthalmic Medical Technologists | 3 | 0.949 |
| 8 | Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | 3 | 0.948 |
| 9 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | 5 | 0.948 |
| 10 | Dental Assistants | 3 | 0.948 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Dental Hygienists, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | Operation and Control | 1.12 | 0.961 |
| Surgical Assistants | Speaking | 0.88 | 0.953 |
| Ophthalmic Medical Technologists | Speaking | 1.00 | 0.949 |
| Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | Critical Thinking | 0.88 | 0.948 |
| Endoscopy Technicians | Operation and Control | 1.12 | 0.947 |
| Radiation Therapists | Operation and Control | 1.62 | 0.927 |
| Pharmacy Technicians | Mathematics | 1.38 | 0.921 |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians | Quality Control Analysis | 1.00 | 0.915 |
| Psychiatric Aides | Social Perceptiveness | 1.12 | 0.915 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Dental Hygienists, excluding software Dental Hygienists already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| MEDITECH software | 10 of 20 | 6.0x |
| eClinicalWorks EHR software | 7 of 20 | 6.7x |
| EyeMD EMR Healthcare Systems EyeMD EMR | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Electronic medical record EMR software | 5 of 20 | 7.2x |
| Practice management software PMS | 3 of 20 | 8.7x |
| Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR | 3 of 20 | 7.7x |
| Epic Systems | 4 of 20 | 2.9x |
| Google Drive | 4 of 20 | 2.9x |
| Medical procedure coding software | 3 of 20 | 3.1x |
| Database software | 6 of 20 | 1.7x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.00 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.38 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.50 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 1.88 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.62 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 0.88 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 0.88 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 1.12 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Dentistry | 4.59 | 4.10 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.94 | 3.55 |
| Psychology | 2.99 | 3.65 |
| English Language | 2.81 | 2.41 |
| Education and Training | 2.59 | 2.19 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.48 | 1.63 |
| Chemistry | 2.44 | 2.66 |
| Law and Government | 2.30 | 1.62 |
| Biology | 2.29 | 1.93 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.21 | 1.74 |
| Production and Processing | 2.21 | 1.56 |
| Mathematics | 2.17 | 1.77 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.08 | 1.76 |
| Administration and Management | 2.03 | 1.25 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.00 | 1.66 |
| Communications and Media | 1.97 | 1.59 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.94 | 1.36 |
| Mechanical | 1.88 | 1.46 |
| Administrative | 1.81 | 1.52 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.57 | 1.15 |
| Foreign Language | 1.56 | 0.87 |
| Telecommunications | 1.53 | 0.44 |
| Transportation | 1.45 | 0.48 |
| Physics | 1.44 | 0.59 |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.23 | not rated |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.22 | not rated |
| Geography | 1.22 | not rated |
| Design | 1.14 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.12 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.10 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.09 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.01 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Near Vision | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.88 | 3.75 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.88 | 3.75 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Oral Expression | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.12 | 3.88 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Written Expression | 3.00 | 3.50 |
| Control Precision | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Information Ordering | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Sharing | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Visualization | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Far Vision | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Originality | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Memorization | 2.12 | 2.25 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Number Facility | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Stamina | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.12 | 1.62 |
| Depth Perception | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Static Strength | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Reaction Time | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Rate Control | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Response Orientation | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.25 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Henry Schein Dentrix in demand
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Dental billing software
- Dental charting software
- Dental clinical records software
- Dental digital radiology software
- Dental imaging software
- Dental intra-oral imaging software
- Dental office management software
- Email software
- Open Dental
- Patterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft
- Scheduling software
- Voice-activated perio charting software
- Web browser software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 250 | 3.12 | $102,790 |
| Flint, MI | 440 | 2.26 | $81,500 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | 930 | 2.13 | $92,000 |
| Midland, MI | 110 | 2.12 | $82,160 |
| Springfield, IL | 280 | 1.97 | $83,070 |
| Pocatello, ID | 110 | 1.95 | $93,060 |
| Anchorage, AK | 490 | 1.93 | $132,740 |
| Ogden, UT | 740 | 1.92 | $85,330 |
| Traverse City, MI | 190 | 1.92 | $81,570 |
| Rockford, IL | 370 | 1.89 | $86,120 |