Dental Hygienist Salary in Rhode Island: What Dental Hygienists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$84,030
Median (50th)
$86,910
75th percentile
$91,160
National median
$98,100
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1292), May 2025
What does a dental hygienist make in Rhode Island?
The median dental hygienist in Rhode Island earns $86,910 a year ($41.78 an hour), which is $11,190 below the national median of $98,100, but less than in nearby Connecticut ($100,690) and Massachusetts ($100,640). The mean is $88,660.
That ranks 38th of the 49 states plus DC where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in Rhode Island
The middle half of Rhode Island dental hygienists earn $84,030 to $91,160. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $83,800, $8,920 above the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $100,520, $25,530 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in Rhode Island
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Rhode Island's 2024 price level at 102.3 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 2.3% above the national average, and housing (index 105.6) runs 5.6% above.
Converted to national average prices, the $86,910 median is worth about $84,970 — $13,130 below the national median of $98,100.
How many dental hygienists work in Rhode Island
BLS counts about 770 dental hygienist jobs in Rhode Island, 0.3% of the 222,740 nationwide, or 1.528 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dental hygienists hold a 7% larger share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 1.07).
Dental Hygienist Salary by City in Rhode Island
All dental roles by metro: Providence
Who's hiring dental hygienists in Rhode Island now
DentistryHires has 13 open dental hygienist listings in Rhode Island from 10 employers, led by Coventry and Cranston (3 each).
7 post hourly pay, from $30 to $65 an hour. These are employers' posted ranges, not survey figures.
Dental Hygienist Regulatory Context in Rhode Island
Dental hygienist practice in Rhode Island is regulated by the Rhode Island Board of Examiners 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 Rhode Island Compares
Other dental salaries in Rhode Island
- Dentist salary in Rhode Island: median $161,560, $74,650 above the dental hygienist median
- Dental Assistant salary in Rhode Island: median $50,150, $36,760 below the dental hygienist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in Rhode Island: median $45,320
- Oral Surgeon salary in Rhode Island: median $414,060
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.