Dental Hygienist Salary in New Mexico: What Dental Hygienists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$86,300
Median (50th)
$95,940
75th percentile
$99,960
National median
$98,100
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1292), May 2025
What does a dental hygienist make in New Mexico?
The median dental hygienist in New Mexico earns $95,940 a year ($46.12 an hour), which is $2,160 below the national median of $98,100, but less than in nearby Colorado ($109,580), Arizona ($101,010) and Texas ($99,240). The mean is $94,890.
That ranks 27th of the 49 states plus DC where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in New Mexico
The middle half of New Mexico dental hygienists earn $86,300 to $99,960. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $82,180, $7,300 above the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $105,440, $20,610 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in New Mexico
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts New Mexico's 2024 price level at 92.2 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 7.8% below the national average, and housing (index 73.6) runs 26.4% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $95,940 median is worth about $104,040 — $5,940 above the national median of $98,100.
How many dental hygienists work in New Mexico
BLS counts about 1,420 dental hygienist jobs in New Mexico, 0.6% of the 222,740 nationwide, or 1.632 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dental hygienists hold a 14% larger share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 1.14).
Dental Hygienist Salary by City in New Mexico
Across the 4 New Mexico metro areas where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median, pay runs from $82,120 in Las Cruces to $99,260 in Santa Fe, a spread of $17,140.
All dental roles by metro: Albuquerque · Las Cruces · Santa Fe
Who's hiring dental hygienists in New Mexico now
DentistryHires has 18 open dental hygienist listings in New Mexico from 16 employers, the most of them in Albuquerque (10).
14 post hourly pay, from $30 to $65 an hour. These are employers' posted ranges, not survey figures.
Dental Hygienist Regulatory Context in New Mexico
Dental hygienist practice in New Mexico is regulated by the New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care.
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 New Mexico Compares
Other dental salaries in New Mexico
- Dentist salary in New Mexico: median $155,260, $59,320 above the dental hygienist median
- Dental Assistant salary in New Mexico: median $44,400, $51,540 below the dental hygienist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in New Mexico: median $45,300, $50,640 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.