Dental Hygienist Salary in Iowa: What Dental Hygienists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$80,950
Median (50th)
$84,010
75th percentile
$93,880
National median
$98,100
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1292), May 2025
What does a dental hygienist make in Iowa?
The median dental hygienist in Iowa earns $84,010 a year ($40.39 an hour), which is $14,090 below the national median of $98,100, but less than in nearby Minnesota ($103,970), Illinois ($96,670) and Wisconsin ($96,540). The mean is $86,640.
That ranks 44th of the 49 states plus DC where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in Iowa
The middle half of Iowa dental hygienists earn $80,950 to $93,880. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $78,320, $3,440 above the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $95,810, $30,240 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in Iowa
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Iowa's 2024 price level at 87.8 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 12.2% below the national average, and housing (index 65.3) runs 34.7% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $84,010 median is worth about $95,720 — $2,380 below the national median of $98,100.
How many dental hygienists work in Iowa
BLS counts about 2,440 dental hygienist jobs in Iowa, 1.1% of the 222,740 nationwide, or 1.565 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dental hygienists hold a 9% larger share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 1.09).
Dental Hygienist Salary by City in Iowa
Across the 8 Iowa metro areas where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median, pay runs from $81,410 in Dubuque to $93,660 in Des Moines, a spread of $12,250.
All dental roles by metro: Ames · Cedar Rapids · Davenport · Des Moines · Iowa City · Sioux City
Who's hiring dental hygienists in Iowa now
DentistryHires has 18 open dental hygienist listings in Iowa from 17 employers, the most of them in Des Moines (2).
11 post hourly pay, from $30 to $65 an hour. These are employers' posted ranges, not survey figures.
Dental Hygienist Regulatory Context in Iowa
Dental hygienist practice in Iowa is regulated by the Iowa Dental Board.
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 Iowa Compares
Minnesota
$103,970
+6% vs. national
Minnesota salary →
Illinois
$96,670
-1% vs. national
Illinois salary →
Wisconsin
$96,540
-2% vs. national
Wisconsin salary →
Missouri
$92,750
-5% vs. national
Missouri salary →
Nebraska
$92,580
-6% vs. national
Nebraska salary →
South Dakota
$92,210
-6% vs. national
South Dakota salary →
Other dental salaries in Iowa
- Dentist salary in Iowa: median $181,520, $97,510 above the dental hygienist median
- Dental Assistant salary in Iowa: median $48,430, $35,580 below the dental hygienist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in Iowa: median $47,520, $36,490 below the dental hygienist median
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.