As of 2012, there were 3,460 dental hygienists employed in Tennessee, although that number is set to grow in the next eight years. By the year 2022, nearly 4,500 dental hygienists are expected to be employed in Tennessee, an increase of 29%. This increase ranks 14th when compared to the rest of the country. The employment ratio in the state is a healthy 1.26 dental hygienists for every one thousand residents. There are 190 job openings expected each year through 2022 for dental hygienists in Tennessee.
Salary Breakdown for Dental Hygienists in Tennessee
According to the Tennessee Career Center, the annual salaries and hourly wages for various experience levels of dental hygienists break down this way:
- Entry level positions: $46,787/year ($22.50/hour)
- Mid-level positions: $64,216/year ($30.85/hour)
- Experienced level positions: $70,569/year ($33.95/hour)
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The average annual salary for dental hygienists is a bit higher than the state median, at $62,640.
Dental hygienists are under the jurisdiction of the Tennessee Board of Dentistry, along with dentists and dental assistants. The board is responsible for licensing, disciplining, and ensuring that all dental hygienists are up to appropriate professional standards.
More in depth salary information for geographical regions in Tennessee can be found on the following table, provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2013):
Area name
Employment
Hourly mean wage
Annual mean wage
Hourly median wage
Hourly 75th percentile wage
Hourly 90th percentile wage
Annual median wage
Annual 75th percentile wage
Annual 90th percentile wage
Chattanooga TN-GA
270
32.44
67480
32.26
35.32
39.90
67110
73460
82990
Clarksville TN-KY
150
27.23
56650
27.73
32.08
35.40
57670
66730
73640
Cleveland TN
40
29.25
60840
27.92
35.95
41.21
58070
74770
85720
Jackson TN
70
25.37
52770
25.68
28
30.83
53400
58240
64130
Johnson City TN
80
28.36
58980
24.69
33.82
43.92
51360
70350
91360
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol TN-VA
160
27.52
57240
27.55
32.08
35.34
57300
66730
73510
Knoxville TN
540
33.44
69550
32.05
36.86
46.98
66670
76670
97710
Memphis TN-MS-AR
570
27.63
57470
30.06
33.43
35.46
62530
69530
73750
Morristown TN
50
30.66
63770
32.27
34.73
36.21
67110
72240
75320
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin TN
1030
31.91
66380
32.52
35.32
38.49
67640
73470
80070
Western Tennessee nonmetropolitan area
200
23.23
48320
21.50
27.68
34.14
44720
57570
71000
South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area
220
27.40
56990
26.51
33.51
41.48
55150
69700
86270
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area
100
34.44
71640
33.82
40.47
45.53
70350
84180
94700
Eastern Tennessee nonmetropolitan area
Estimate not released
27.59
57390
26.46
33.03
36.86
55030
68700
76670
