Dental hygienist salary can vary depending on where you get the job, what type of location or venue it is, and how much experience the job seeker has at being a dental hygienist.
What is a dental hygienist?
A hygienist cleans teeth, treats dental diseases, and does all kinds of preventive oral hygiene procedures. They work usually with a dentist or a doctor and provide these services through that person. There are many types of locations and situations that you can work as a hygienist and earn a dental hygienist's salary.
The hygienist does things such as clean deposits on teeth, cleans stains, cleans under and around gums, and looks for signs of oral cancer by checking for swellings, etc. They may also be required to teach good oral hygiene at schools or to community groups in assistance with the dentist. They must like being around people and be a creative type person for best results.
Other Duties
Other things a hygienist may have to do is things like prepare tests, help the dentist by handing him tools, doing x-rays, administer fluoride treatments, and other similar duties. Once again, it all depends on the type of place you get a job.
Where do dental hygienist's usually work?
Nearly all hygienist's work in a dentist's office, with the average salary being around $68,000. The second most common place to get a dental hygienist type position would be in a doctor's office. You can also work for the government or other places.
The annual salary of these types of positions is around $63,000, so is a bit lower than the ones who work with dentists. Some dental hygienists actually work in some sort of employment service and they average a salary of around $65,000.
What states are best for dental hygienist work?
The smallest amounts of dentists on average work in the state of Alaska, but they are also the ones that average the highest salary, which can run over $90,000 a year. The next highest salary is earned in California, which is also above $90,000 on average. In contrast, the state with the most dental hygienists is in Michigan, but they pay the worst at only an average of about $59,000 a year.
Some other examples of the amounts of dental hygienist salary that some states have paid are Washington State has an average of around $87,000 per year, and Nevada has been known for paying more than $80,000 a year as well, along with the District of Colombia being listed as paying more than $86,000.
One thing to remember, however, is that if the salary sound like it is a lot, you also have to check the cost of living in the area to see if it is actually enough. For example, the cost of living out west is higher than some other places, so a salary of over $80,000 there may not really be that much. These are things to remember to check when checking out dental hygienist salary while job hunting.
Why is the job of dental hygienist a good one?
Many people get into the work of being a hygienist because it has good employment possibilities, good benefits; and nice places to work. The benefits that might be offered to those who work as a hygienist can vary from getting a paid vacation to getting health or dental insurance along with your dental hygienist's salary. Some jobs may even give bonuses for a job well done. It also depends on if you work full time or half time or if you work at a big hospital or a small dental office. All of these must be considered for when you choose where you work as a dental hygienist.
What schooling is needed?
In order to become a hygienist you need to get a degree. Plus, if you can find a way to get some sort of experience, that can add thousands of dollars to what you can expect to get with a dental hygienist salary. In fact, the level of education and training, as well as experience can affect the amount of money you get paid quite a bit. For instance, if you got your dental degree at a vocational institute or junior college instead of getting a bachelor's degree, your hygienist salary will be much less.
To get into a dental college program, you need a high school diploma and have to pass a test. There are some dental programs that require a year of college too, but it depends on the school you want to attend. You should also make sure the dental school is on the approval list of the Commission on Dental Accreditation. Then, you also must get a license and pass a test for your state of employment.
The tests vary depending on the state. They are given by the American Dental Association's (ADA) Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations via a state or regional testing facility, so check your area for places to take your test. Once the test is passed, you can work as and earn a dental hygienist.
If you aspire to get into this job field, then you should be determined to do well in your training program and remember that the ticket at the end will be a good paying job that has a good outlook in the future for positions to be open. If you do well and get good grades and can manage to get some prior experience through volunteering or other ways, then you should be well on your way to a career as a dental hygienist.
All in all the job of hygienist is considered to be a good paying job. It all basically depends on the size of the state, the office or hospital environment, your degree and several other factors as to what money you ultimately get paid for a dental salary.
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