We surveyed the industry to learn what today's registered dental hygienists are saying about the state of the dental career for 2020.
How much are dental hygienists paid? How many hours a week do they work? What do they think about their current employee benefits?
We answer all these questions, and more in our annual salary survey. The largest of its kind, RDH Magazine partnered with DentalPost to survey 8,855 dental professionals, including 3,977 dental hygienists.
KEY FINDINGS FOR 2020
Methodology
RDH Magazine partnered with DentalPost to conduct original research, polling 8,855 dental professionals, including 3,977 dental hygienist respondents.
Hosted on SurveyMonkey between June 2019 and September 2019, the study consisted of 30 questions ranging from compensation to how employees felt about their roles in the dental community and the changes that have occurred in the industry.
About the Survey Creator
Connecting 850,000 dental employees with 64,000 dental practice employers, DentalPost is the largest dental job search board in the industry.
Founded in 2005 by Registered Dental Hygienist, Tonya Lanthier, DentalPost leads the dental industry in metric-based career matching including personality tests, work culture preferences, skill matching, and career goal assessments.
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Takeaway for Employers
Over 52% of respondents have been with their primary employer for 5 years or more. Of all the employees in the dental office, only dentists average more longevity (58%).
RDHs are likely to have more room when it comes to negotiating compensation and scheduling hours. This is because RDHs are entering the industry at a slower rate than other types of dental professionals. For example, dentists are entering the industry at a 25% faster rate. Dental assistants are entering the industry at a 50% faster rate than RDHs.
The majority of RDHs (85%) report working in private practice as their primary job, with 10% reporting working in corporate dentistry and another 5% unsure. This is in line with the estimated 15% market share that DSOs and other large group practices have within the industry.
Key Finding: Both private practice and corporate dental practices prefer to hire dental hygienists as full-time employees. While part-time employment is limited, dental hygienists working in private practice are 2x more likely to be part-time than those in corporate practices.
How are private dental practices similar to DSOs and other large group practices? How are they different? The data is quite interesting...
DentalPost has crunched the numbers. Some comparisons are obvious, others are quite surprising! Throughout the year, DentalPost will be releasing new content on this topic, and more. Members get early access and notifications about new content and live events.
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As we enter the 2020s, what are the traits of a modern dental hygienist? What are their demographics? What about their life at home? Respondents share info about age, gender, head of household status and the impact of children in the home.
Many Boomers, and some Gen X members are either postponing retirement, or opting for a pre-retirement approach. This includes decreasing hours, shifting from full-time to part-time, or working as a temp. As the industry struggles to educate, train, and introduce new hygienists, it is a job seeker’s market for many Boomers and Gen X.
Among Gen Z and Millennials, there is no shortage of jobs for aspiring hygienists. However, these jobs may not offer the full schedule they are seeking from a single employer. With Boomers and Gen X starting to retire, there is potential for an RDH shortage similar to the one in the early-to-late 1990's.
What are Dental Educators Saying?
“The need for talented hygienists to enter the industry is increasing. With so many Boomers near retirement, the next few years look bright for Millennials and Gen Z entering the industry. For Gen X, the coming decade will put pressure to go beyond just maintaining CE credits. To remain competitive as a high earner, Gen X and other experienced RDHs will need to invest in new skills. RDHs that keep up with trends, and specializations will be the most in demand.”
- Rachel Wall, RDH
Key Finding: Dental hygienists ages 18-24 are 2x more likely to work at a corporate dental practice than those who are 45 years or older.
DSOs hold a significant advantage attracting both first year hygienists and younger hygienists. Because of their close relationships with schools, and their ability to offer a full-time schedule with benefits, many entering the profession will start at a DSO.
The DSO hiring advantage drops with time. Data shows this is especially true once an RDH has been in the industry for 10 or more years. RDHs with more than 10 years of experience are more likely to be attracted to private practice employers, than DSOs.
“Hygienists are looking for different things throughout their career. Established hygienists prioritize and appreciate the flexibility of our profession. To an established hygienist, a well-fitting small practice can feel like an extension of family, offering a feeling of safety and security.
For newer hygienists, working as many hours as possible and making money are often a necessity when entering the profession. Beyond the cost of school, life events such as a new house, a new car, or growing family can add pressure financially. Newer hygienists express a desire for a smaller practice, but struggle to find a private practice offering full-time employment with benefits.”
– Heather Mapp, RDH, M.Ed., President of Dental Hygiene Seminars
Industry-wide, females have historically occupied the vast majority of RDH positions. In our survey, 97% of respondents are female.
This year, the large number of respondents allowed us to take a closer look to see if the 3% male participation was an anomaly or a trend to watch.
More Male RDHsAmong various Salary Surveys conducted by RDH Magazine and DentalPost, males have typically been between 1-2% of survey respondents. With a higher concentration of men among newer RDHs, we believe males entering the RDH profession is a trend to watch.
DSOs are leading the charge in hiring males. Regardless of geographic setting (metropolitan vs rural), a male is 4x as likely to start his career as a DSO. And while this looks like potential bias, a female of similar experience is 2x as likely to start her career at a DSO. The ability of DSOs to attract new talent is another topic we wanted to explore.
Within the office, dental hygienists are the most likely to reside in a multi-income household. Much more than other positions within the office, the advantage of a multi-income household has allowed RDHs to explore more flexible schedules and customized approaches to earning a living as a dental hygienist.
This is particularly true among RDHs between age 35 to 44. Ages 35 to 44 are the “peak years” RDH respondents are most likely to have children under 18 living in the home. Further, this age is also the highest point in a hygienist’s career she is most likely to be part of a multi-income household (88%).
As a shared belief, many hygienists report a love of a family. It shows with the approach RDHs take towards children and family.
Often starting later and finishing later than her front office and dental assistant peers, RDHs peak for children under 18 living in the household is between ages 35 - 44. During this age, 3 of 4 RDHs have at least one child living in the home. RDHs between the ages of 45 - 54 rank second, only to dentists for children under 18 living in the home.
Average pay for an RDH varies widely from state to state. A hygienist in Washington, DC, will average almost $90,000 per year, which is $30,000 above the national average of $60,000. In Alabama, the lowest-paying state, the average is $39,000.
How Many Full-Time RDHs Receive a Percentage of Production/Collections for Hygiene or Commission?
RDHs reported commission, percentage of production, and other performance pay approaches as an appealing way of getting paid. Hygienists working for a percentage of production rather than an hourly wage reported being happier with their careers and income. In addition, RDHs being paid a guarantee base against a percentage of production reported highest level of satisfaction.
Average number of hours worked, one job or multiple, and the participation rate of temping among dental hygienists.
Similar to other dental office employees surveyed staff, the majority of dental hygienists work 31 to 40 hours per week (60%). About 1 in 30 hygienists work more than 40 hours per week.
Note: Surveyed RDHs working less than 30 hours per week, are primarily practicing part-time or working as a temp.
Being an RDH means more than choosing a path that is full-time or part-time. Often being an RDH means deciding between one job or multiple jobs. Dental Hygienists are overwhelmingly likely to work full-time (66%), of which 54% are working 1 job and another 12% are working multiple jobs.
Among respondents that identify as part-time (33%), a near even split of RDHs report working one part-time job (21%) versus multiple part-time jobs (12%).
When it comes to working as a dental temp, RDHs are leading the charge.
The need and opportunity for dental hygienists to temp has been a topic of much discussion within the industry over recent years. A way to increase career flexibility, 21% of dental hygienist respondents report receiving income from temping.
Temping can come in the form of being planned for occasions such as vacations or maternity leave, in addition to unplanned for family emergencies and other unforeseen events.
In additional 8% of RDH respondents are considering temping in the future. We can expect participation to climb, especially among hygienists working at DSOs, and among RDHs in their 50s and 60s seeking to work on a limited basis.
Digging Deeper: How is your office incorporating temps as part of its 2020 staffing strategy? How does temping align with your future career goals? DentalPost wants to hear from you.
Here's what dental hygienists say about their current compensation and benefits. We ask them to rate satisfaction and provide feedback where employers can impove. Putting it together, we uncover who might be looking to make a job change soon.
RDHs throughout the industry are loud and clear about their opinion on annual raises. Beyond disappointment in the raise itself (61% dissatisfied or very dissatisfied), respondents regularly expressed confusion and frustration with the review process itself.
Takeaway for Employers: Beyond evaluating what can be financially budgeted during the employee review process, employers are encouraged to look at the process itself used for annual raises. This includes the level of preparation RDHs are expected to do in advance, along with the documentation and coaching they will receive during the review.
One of the most interesting statistics, 43% of dental hygienists are considering looking for a job in the next year. That is a significant percentage for any profession. In addition, 33% of dental hygienist respondents had applied for a job in the past year.
DentalPost Explains: A Matching Work Environment
Every dental hygienist deserves to work in a great place where you are valued and treated with respect. When core values and personality match closely there is a higher percentage of satisfaction in careers. Among dental hygienists earning at the top of the profession, work environment, relationships with co-workers, patients, even commute times can make the difference between staying or deciding to look at other opportunities.
We are obsessed with the details because you are too! Tell us more about you, and we'll provide you with the tools you need to build a better future. Click toGet Started
Your next job is a few clicks away
Best candidates are on DentalPost
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