Dental Hygienist Salary in North Dakota: What Dental Hygienists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$84,020
Median (50th)
$90,530
75th percentile
$96,170
National median
$98,100
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1292), May 2025
What does a dental hygienist make in North Dakota?
The median dental hygienist in North Dakota earns $90,530 a year ($43.53 an hour), which is $7,570 below the national median of $98,100, but less than in nearby Minnesota ($103,970), Montana ($98,440) and South Dakota ($92,210). The mean is $89,750.
That ranks 36th of the 49 states plus DC where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in North Dakota
The middle half of North Dakota dental hygienists earn $84,020 to $96,170. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $82,890, $8,010 above the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $98,530, $27,520 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in North Dakota
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts North Dakota's 2024 price level at 89.0 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 11.0% below the national average, and housing (index 71.4) runs 28.6% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $90,530 median is worth about $101,770 — $3,670 above the national median of $98,100.
How many dental hygienists work in North Dakota
BLS counts about 660 dental hygienist jobs in North Dakota, 0.3% of the 222,740 nationwide, or 1.547 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dental hygienists hold an 8% larger share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 1.08).
Dental Hygienist Salary by City in North Dakota
Across the 3 North Dakota metro areas where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median, pay runs from $84,390 in Fargo to $91,600 in Bismarck, a spread of $7,210.
All dental roles by metro: Fargo
Who's hiring dental hygienists in North Dakota now
DentistryHires has 12 open dental hygienist listings in North Dakota from 10 employers, the most of them in Minot (3).
8 post hourly pay, from $35 to $53 an hour. These are employers' posted ranges, not survey figures.
Dental Hygienist Regulatory Context in North Dakota
Dental hygienist practice in North Dakota is regulated by the North Dakota 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 Dakota Compares
Other dental salaries in North Dakota
- Dentist salary in North Dakota: median $220,660, $130,130 above the dental hygienist median
- Dental Assistant salary in North Dakota: median $57,770, $32,760 below the dental hygienist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in North Dakota: median $67,580, $22,950 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.