How Much do Dental Hygienists Make in Florida?
If you’re thinking about a career in Dental Hygiene and are considering Florida as your next destination, then you’ve come to the right place. There’s lots of information to be had so I’ll break it down for you into sections. You’ll also find a map further down that shows the comparison between top paying and lowest paying areas.
A dental hygiene associate’s degree or diploma is necessary to work as a dental hygienist. You must obtain a license in Florida or in the state in which you desire to work because all states need dental hygienists to hold one. Given that employment is anticipated to grow by 6% over the following ten years, being a registered dental hygienist is probably a career move with plenty of job security.
How Much do Dental Hygienists Make in Florida?
It’s clear that dental hygienists are in high demand in Florida. But how much do these professionals make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average dental hygienist’s salary in Florida is $66,910 per year. That’s a solid amount of money! However, there are many factors that can affect your pay as a dental hygienist in Florida. The most important factor is where you work: the average annual salary for a dental hygienist in Miami is $74,280, while a dental hygienist in Tallahassee earns an average of $53,310 per year.
Another factor that may affect your salary is whether you’re working in private practice or hospital settings. The average annual salary for both types of employers is about $67,000 per year—however, the median pay for private practice jobs is slightly higher than for hospital jobs ($68,000 vs $65,950).
If you want to earn more than the average annual salary for Florida dental hygienists ($66,910), it’s important to consider working at a private practice or hospital setting with a higher pay scale than the statewide average.
Top Highest Paying Cities for Dental Hygienist Jobs in Florida
The average Dental Hygienist wage in these ten cities is higher than the state’s average. Palm Beach Shores is at the top of the list, followed closely in order of importance by Sarasota and Lakeland. Palm Beach Shores adds another $20,183 (31.3%) over the $64,534 to continue Lakeland’s trend of outperforming the Florida average by beating it by 22.8%.
The average income in these ten cities is higher than the state average for Florida, therefore moving appears to be a highly advantageous option for anyone seeking to grow financially in the field of dental hygiene.
The fact that the average income in these top 10 cities only differs by 14% between Palm Beach Shores and Jacksonville is still another important consideration. This statistic emphasizes how little room there is for wage growth. When weighing location and pay for a Dental Hygienist position, the possibility of a cheaper cost of living can be the most important consideration.
| City | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach Shores | $84,717 | $7,059 | $1,629 | $40.73 |
| Sarasota | $80,918 | $6,743 | $1,556 | $38.90 |
| Lakeland | $79,231 | $6,602 | $1,523 | $38.09 |
| Miami | $76,625 | $6,385 | $1,473 | $36.84 |
| Clearwater | $76,570 | $6,380 | $1,472 | $36.81 |
| Five Points | $76,231 | $6,352 | $1,465 | $36.65 |
| Tampa | $75,456 | $6,288 | $1,451 | $36.28 |
| Panama City | $75,224 | $6,268 | $1,446 | $36.17 |
| Palm Shores | $73,956 | $6,163 | $1,422 | $35.56 |
| Jacksonville | $73,243 | $6,103 | $1,408 | $35.21 |
Factors that Affect Dental Hygienists’ Salary
Dental hygiene is one of the most rewarding careers you could have. Dental hygiene allows you to work from home, making your own schedule and working with clients who understand the value of your services. The average dental hygienist salary in Florida is $74,000 per year, but this number can vary based on a number of factors.
The state of Florida has a population of around 20 million people and is located in the southeastern United States. The population is concentrated around the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, which make it an ideal location for fishing and tourism industries. As such, there are plenty of opportunities for dental hygienists to find employment within these industries or other related fields such as healthcare administration or computer programming.
Florida is one of the most popular states in the US, and dental hygienists are in high demand. In fact, Florida has the most dental hygienists of any state in the country.
Because of this, dental hygienist salaries in Florida are also higher than average. According to Indeed, the national average salary for a dental hygienist is $71,000 per year. However, in Florida it’s closer to $81,000 per year—and that’s just an average.
So what determines how much you’ll make as a dental hygienist? There are a few factors that contribute to your salary:
Experience – As with any profession, experience matters when it comes to salary. The more experience you have working as a dental hygienist, the more money you’ll probably be able to make.
Experience is an important factor in determining your salary as a dental hygienist. The more experience you have, the higher your salary will be.
The average annual salary for a dental hygienist is $64,450. This means that the average dental hygienist earns $32.73 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA), the median annual income for a dental hygienist in 2016 was $68,000 per year. This means that half of all dental hygienists earn more than this amount and half earn less. In addition, 13% of dental hygienists earn $80,000 or more per year while 12% earn less than $60,000 per year.
Location – Where you live also affects how much you can expect to make as a dental hygienist. The cost of living varies from city to city, so even if two people have similar levels of education and experience working as dental hygienists they may end up making different salaries depending on where they live in Florida.
Education – The more educated you are, the higher your salary can be. This is true for all professions, including dental hygiene.
Dental hygienists with bachelor’s degrees earn an average of $56,000 per year, while those with only an associate’s degree earn $43,000 per year. In addition to a higher starting salary, dental hygienists with bachelor’s degrees are more likely to have advanced opportunities and training available to them than those with only an associate’s degree.
If you’re considering becoming a dental hygienist, think about getting your bachelor’s degree before entering the field! It’ll give you more options when it comes time to apply for jobs or promotions within your practice.
Job Title- Additionally, you can come across offices that give dental hygienists who have worked for the company for a longer period of time managerial jobs. Your income may increase if you go into one of these managerial or administrative positions.
Skills and specialties- If you possess a certain skill set, such as radiology, or a specialty in dentistry, such as periodontics, you can be a more in-demand worker and receive a raise from dental offices or other businesses.
Industry- Outside of the typical clinical context, you can explore various careers that have the potential to increase or decrease your payments. For instance, a dental hygienist employed by the government typically makes less money than one employed by a dental office.
How do you Become a Dental Hygienist?
You must complete a dental hygiene associate degree program that has been approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation in order to work as a dental hygienist (CODA). After passing both your state’s clinical examination for dental hygienists and the written National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, you can move toward licensing. Even if you could see some variations in the precise license criteria in various states, this pattern is normal for all of them. For instance, you might have to provide letters of recommendation, the results of a background check, documentation of your liability insurance, and academic records.
Programs for dental hygienists normally last two years and include a predetermined number of hours each week for practical training. If you are certain that you want to eventually work in management roles, you can obtain a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (BSDH). Earning an associate in applied science in dental health (AAS) degree, which is the minimum prerequisite, will take longer and cost more money than pursuing a BSDH. You may be able to start your career and complete the bachelor’s degree later by applying to several colleges that will accept your associate degree as transfer credit toward a BSDH.
Where does a Dental Hygienist Work?
In clinical settings like private dental offices, community health centers, hospitals, assisted living institutions, government-run facilities, or prisons, dental hygienists frequently work. They are also capable of performing additional jobs in the administration, public health, government, and research domains. Depending on where they work, dental hygienists may work full- or part-time hours.
What does a dental hygienist do?
A dental hygienist looks at, cleans, and instructs patients on how to take care of their teeth and gums. During routine cleanings or office visits, dental hygienists frequently develop a plan of care for patients, record the care that was provided, and communicate any findings. Additionally, they might do the following particular duties:
- Assess a patient’s oral health, including cancer screening and gum disease evaluations
- Apply sealants and fluoride to teeth to prevent cavities
- Remove plaque and tartar from teeth and gum line using specialized dental tools
- Administer local anesthetic or nitrous oxide as needed
- Perform and interpret dental radiographs
- Assist a dentist with dental procedures
Conclusion
As you can see, dental hygienists in Florida have several options for achieving both a high salary and a comfortable quality of life. Even if you start out in a lower-paying job, there are opportunities to move upwards as your career progresses. So if you’re considering becoming a dental hygienist in the Sunshine State, take comfort in knowing that with the right hard work and dedication, you’ll be able to reap the rewards of a well-deserved financial reward.