Dental Hygienist Salary Survey "2020 Results"

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.

• 61% of respondents are 45 and older
• There are equal numbers of RDHs ages 45 to 54 and ages 55 to 64
• There are twice as many RDHs 65+ as 18 to 24

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.

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.

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.

Among 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.

• Male RDH's with 3-10 years of experience are now employed at 2x the rate as male RDH's with 10+ years' experience.
• Almost 10% of RDH's with less than one year of experience are male.

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.

• 44% of full-time RDHs are satisfied or very satisfied with their overall pay.
• About 1 in 3 (32%) full-time RDHs are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their overall pay.
• More than half (60%) of all full-time RDHs are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their annual raises.

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%).

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.

• 44% of RDHs report being satisfied or very satisfied with overall pay
• 1 in 3 RDHs are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with overall pay

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.

• Dental Hygienist respondents report paid holidays, flexible scheduling and paid vacation as the benefits they are most satisfied with.
• That flexible scheduling may be coming at a cost elsewhere. A benefit for employers to pay attention to, how they coordinate paid sick leave.
• In addition to child care benefits, health insurance options are both areas employees would like to see improved.

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.