Dental Hygienist Salary in South Carolina: What Dental Hygienists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$79,400
Median (50th)
$84,340
75th percentile
$94,830
National median
$98,100
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1292), May 2025
What does a dental hygienist make in South Carolina?
The median dental hygienist in South Carolina earns $84,340 a year ($40.55 an hour), which is $13,760 below the national median of $98,100, but less than in nearby North Carolina ($97,850) and Georgia ($95,490). The mean is $84,980.
That ranks 43rd of the 49 states plus DC where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in South Carolina
The middle half of South Carolina dental hygienists earn $79,400 to $94,830. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $65,700, $9,180 below the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $97,220, $28,830 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in South Carolina
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts South Carolina's 2024 price level at 93.7 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 6.3% below the national average, and housing (index 80.5) runs 19.5% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $84,340 median is worth about $89,960 — $8,140 below the national median of $98,100.
How many dental hygienists work in South Carolina
BLS counts about 3,160 dental hygienist jobs in South Carolina, 1.4% of the 222,740 nationwide, or 1.369 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dental hygienists hold a 4% smaller share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 0.96).
Dental Hygienist Salary by City in South Carolina
Across the 8 South Carolina metro areas where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median, pay runs from $80,900 in Myrtle Beach to $94,570 in Charleston, a spread of $13,670.
All dental roles by metro: Myrtle Beach · Spartanburg
Who's hiring dental hygienists in South Carolina now
DentistryHires has 78 open dental hygienist listings in South Carolina from 24 employers, led by Columbia and Lexington (8 each).
56 post hourly pay, from $35 to $60 an hour; 1 posts a salary from $59,607 to $76,369 a year. These are employers' posted ranges, not survey figures.
Dental Hygienist Regulatory Context in South Carolina
Dental hygienist practice in South Carolina is regulated by the South Carolina Board of 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 South Carolina Compares
Other dental salaries in South Carolina
- Dentist salary in South Carolina: median $158,640, $74,300 above the dental hygienist median
- Dental Assistant salary in South Carolina: median $47,320, $37,020 below the dental hygienist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in South Carolina: median $37,170, $47,170 below the dental hygienist median
- Orthodontist salary in South Carolina: median $311,450
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.