Dental Hygienist Salary in Massachusetts: What Dental Hygienists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$98,150
Median (50th)
$100,640
75th percentile
$106,220
National median
$98,100
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1292), May 2025
What does a dental hygienist make in Massachusetts?
The median dental hygienist in Massachusetts earns $100,640 a year ($48.39 an hour), which is $2,540 above the national median of $98,100, but less than in nearby New York ($106,130), New Hampshire ($101,250) and Connecticut ($100,690). The mean is $102,160.
That ranks 16th of the 49 states plus DC where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in Massachusetts
The middle half of Massachusetts dental hygienists earn $98,150 to $106,220. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $93,510, $18,630 above the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $117,380, $8,670 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in Massachusetts
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Massachusetts's 2024 price level at 105.8 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 5.8% above the national average, and housing (index 128.1) runs 28.1% above.
Converted to national average prices, the $100,640 median is worth about $95,160 — $2,940 below the national median of $98,100.
How many dental hygienists work in Massachusetts
BLS counts about 6,850 dental hygienist jobs in Massachusetts, 3.1% of the 222,740 nationwide, or 1.883 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dental hygienists hold a 31% larger share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 1.31).
Dental Hygienist Salary by City in Massachusetts
Across the 6 Massachusetts metro areas where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median, pay runs from $97,620 in Springfield to $101,990 in Boston, a spread of $4,370.
All dental roles by metro: Amherst Town · Barnstable Town · Boston · Worcester
Who's hiring dental hygienists in Massachusetts now
DentistryHires has 69 open dental hygienist listings in Massachusetts from 56 employers, led by Boston and Brookline (3 each).
45 post hourly pay, from $42 to $77 an hour. These are employers' posted ranges, not survey figures.
Dental Hygienist Regulatory Context in Massachusetts
Dental hygienist practice in Massachusetts is regulated by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Dentistry.
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 Massachusetts Compares
Other dental salaries in Massachusetts
- Dentist salary in Massachusetts: median $181,600
- Dental Assistant salary in Massachusetts: median $57,980, $42,660 below the dental hygienist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in Massachusetts: median $72,800, $27,840 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.