Dental Hygienist Salary in Alabama: What Dental Hygienists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$58,800
Median (50th)
$61,160
75th percentile
$63,410
National median
$98,100
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1292), May 2025
What does a dental hygienist make in Alabama?
The median dental hygienist in Alabama earns $61,160 a year ($29.41 an hour), which is $36,940 below the national median of $98,100, but less than in nearby Georgia ($95,490), Florida ($91,980) and Tennessee ($84,640). The mean is $60,850.
That ranks 50th of the 49 states plus DC where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in Alabama
The middle half of Alabama dental hygienists earn $58,800 to $63,410. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $48,960, $25,920 below the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $72,410, $53,640 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in Alabama
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Alabama's 2024 price level at 88.8 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 11.2% below the national average, and housing (index 61.8) runs 38.2% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $61,160 median is worth about $68,860 — $29,240 below the national median of $98,100.
How many dental hygienists work in Alabama
BLS counts about 3,170 dental hygienist jobs in Alabama, 1.4% of the 222,740 nationwide, or 1.497 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dental hygienists hold a 5% larger share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 1.05).
Dental Hygienist Salary by City in Alabama
Across the 12 Alabama metro areas where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median, pay runs from $55,840 in Gadsden to $62,370 in Huntsville, a spread of $6,530.
All dental roles by metro: Auburn · Birmingham · Daphne · Dothan · Florence · Huntsville · Mobile
Who's hiring dental hygienists in Alabama now
DentistryHires has 15 open dental hygienist listings in Alabama from 13 employers, led by Birmingham and Huntsville (2 each).
5 post hourly pay, from $26 to $41 an hour; 2 post a salary from $50,000 to $65,599 a year. These are employers' posted ranges, not survey figures.
Dental Hygienist Regulatory Context in Alabama
Dental hygienist practice in Alabama is regulated by the Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama.
Scope of practice — what a dental hygienist may do, and under what level of supervision — is set by state law and changes over time, so verify current rules with the board before relying on them.
How Alabama Compares
Other dental salaries in Alabama
- Dental Assistant salary in Alabama: median $39,080, $22,080 below the dental hygienist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in Alabama: median $45,760, $15,400 below the dental hygienist median
- Orthodontist salary in Alabama: median $253,670
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state and national estimates, all industries); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024. Price-adjusted pay divides the median by the price level. Listing counts and posted pay are live DentistryHires listings, refreshed hourly. A dash means BLS did not publish that figure; nothing is estimated.