Dental Hygienist Salary in North Carolina: What Dental Hygienists Earn in 2026
Posted pay in North Carolina dental hygienist listings
$48.50/hrmedian
The middle half of posted pay runs $45.50–$52/hr, from 35 distinct pay ranges at 32 employers (Heartland Dental, Anders Dental, Asheville Dental Associates).
From DentistryHires' live job listings as of November 13, 2026. See the listings
25th percentile
$84,150
Median (50th)
$97,850
75th percentile
$100,930
National median
$98,100
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1292), May 2025
What does a dental hygienist make in North Carolina?
The median dental hygienist in North Carolina earns $97,850 a year ($47.04 an hour), which is $250 below the national median of $98,100, and more than in nearby Georgia ($95,490) and Tennessee ($84,640) but less than in Virginia ($102,950).
The mean is $93,640.
That ranks 20th of the 49 states plus DC where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in North Carolina
The middle half of North Carolina dental hygienists earn $84,150 to $100,930.
The lowest-paid tenth earn under $77,270, $2,390 above the national 10th percentile.
The top tenth earn over $103,850, $22,200 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in North Carolina
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts North Carolina's 2024 price level at 94.3 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 5.7% below the national average, and housing (index 81.4) runs 18.6% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $97,850 median is worth about $103,740 — $5,640 above the national median of $98,100.
How many dental hygienists work in North Carolina
BLS counts about 6,690 dental hygienist jobs in North Carolina, 3.0% of the 222,740 nationwide, or 1.354 per 1,000 jobs in the state.
Dental hygienists hold a 5% smaller share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 0.95).
Dental Hygienist Salary by City in North Carolina
Across the 15 North Carolina metro areas where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median, pay runs from $82,380 in Jacksonville to $101,460 in Durham, a spread of $19,080.
All dental roles by metro: Asheville · Burlington · Charlotte · Durham · Fayetteville · Greensboro · Greenville · Hickory · Raleigh · Rocky Mount · Winston
What Dental Hygienist Job Listings in North Carolina Show Right Now
From the 94 active dental hygienist listings on DentistryHires as of November 13, 2026.
Employers with the most openings
- Heartland Dental32
- Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry15
- Anders Dental2
- Pacific Dental Services2
- Western Dental / Sonrava Health2
Pay employers post
- Median $48.50 an hour; the middle half of posted pay runs $47.50–$49.50 (56 listings that state an hourly rate)
- 60% of dental hygienist listings in North Carolina state any pay at all.
Benefits listings name
- Paid time offnamed in 69%
- Health insurancenamed in 65%
- Paid or provided CEnamed in 43%
- 401(k) plannamed in 39%
- Dental or vision coveragenamed in 39%
- Employee discounts or free dental carenamed in 18%
- Advancement opportunitiesnamed in 12%
- Flexible schedulingnamed in 12%
Source: active dental hygienist listings on DentistryHires, updated daily. Pay figures use only listings that state pay (midpoint of each posted range) and are hidden when one employer posted most of them. Benefits count listings that name the benefit; a listing that doesn’t mention one may still offer it.
Browse 94 jobs →Dental Hygienist Regulatory Context in North Carolina
Dental hygienist practice in North Carolina is regulated by the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners.
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 North Carolina Compares
Other dental salaries in North Carolina
- Dentist salary in North Carolina: median $207,000, $109,150 above the dental hygienist median
- Dental Assistant salary in North Carolina: median $50,380, $47,470 below the dental hygienist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in North Carolina: median $49,700, $48,150 below the dental hygienist median
- Orthodontist salary in North Carolina: median $224,990
- Oral Surgeon salary in North Carolina: median $224,040
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.