Many people are not familiar with the term RDH. RDH stands for Registered Dental Hygienist. Like all dental hygienists, RDH salaries tend to fluctuate less than standard salaries. Most RDHs work as hourly employees with benefits. Most medical profession fields are rather insulated from economic downturns and wage decreases. That said, since many people do not have dental coverage, demand for dental services is slightly more elastic than other medical services, but much more inelastic than a general basket of market goods. This helps insulate the salary of RDH professionals from fluctuations. As a RDH it makes sense to save more during economic recessions, just like everyone else, in case of trouble at your office or generally.
Salary
benefits, fluctuation, rdh, recessions, Salary
As the number of people looking into dental hygienistry hits an all time high, one concern is that people are not considering exactly the job before taking it. All looks good in this picture, but it is important to keep in mind that a career as a dental hygienist is about much more than the salary. Yes, the job pays well, particularly relevant to the education and experience needed. That said, however, you’re entering more or less a career with no room for growth. Yes you can improve your salary with experience, but your job options and role are rather limited without further education. This type of position is fine for many people, but others struggle with this reality. Definitely want to take full stock of all of the pros and cons before considering a career as a dental hygienist.
Education
career, options, pros and cons, Salary
Looking for the best salary as a dental hygienist? Keep in mind these statistics can be misleading because they are often not recalclated based on cost of living standards. Obviously, this is the primary reason for differences in salary from state-to-state. That said, here are the results…
If you’re looking just based on median salary, the best place to be a dental hygienist is the west. Alaska, California, Washington, and Oregon all sit at the top of the list for the highest paid dental hygienists in the country. Alaska is by far #1, but after negotiating out cost of living expenses, I believe the best place to be a dental hygienist is Washington state, with a median salary of $81,000.
Salary
alaska, california, highest paid, oregon, Salary, statistics, washington
A recent report came out that said dental hygienists were #10 on the top ten fastest growing careers in the region. The salary of dental hygienists that the report quoted represented a wide range from people making $8.45 to $39.24. It’s hard to imagine too many people earning a wage at the top and bottom of this range, but especially at the bottom. Given the pace at which the job market is growing for dental hygienists in Houston, I would imagine that the bottom end of this range would get bumped up quite a bit. Over half of the fastest growing careers in Houston were in the medical or wellness field.
Jobs, Salary
career, fastest growing, houston, job market, Salary, wage
The hourly rate for dental hygienists seems to be really high and it is. One thing that most noticed, however, is the slow rate at which an experienced dental hygienist wages go up. While it was recently discovered that the average hourly rate for a new dental hygienist was $25.50 per hour, entry level, someone who had twenty years or more was only making $33.40 (on average). Obviously this is not a huge step up for very experienced professionals, especially when compared to other white collar workers. Still, the high starting salary is very attractive, especially for many hygienists without a 4-year education.
Salary
dental hygienist, entry level, hourly rate, Salary, wages
Affordable dental care is basically an oxy moron. This actually puts dental hygienists in a great position to perform public service. There have been scores of reports of people dying from not receiving proper dental care. Dental hygienists, other than making a good salary.
Salary
dental care, dental hygienists, public service, Salary
