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No. 5: Dental Hygienists
Median Salary: $68,250
Job Description: Clean teeth, examine patients and provide preventative dental care.
How much do they earn starting out?
Humanities major in 4 year colleges start out with 30-something thousand salary.
How much do beginning dental hygienists make straight out of their 2 year college?
How much do they earn starting out?
Humanities major in 4 year colleges start out with 30-something thousand salary.
How much do beginning dental hygienists make straight out of their 2 year college?
I don't know how much they earn starting out, but kids these days fantasize more than looking at reality. What do I mean? Just because it's the median salary doesn't mean that's what entry level positions make.
I keep seeing straight-out-of-college millenials thinking they'll make what I make in their entry positions. Then once they get the offer they are stunt at how much less it is compared to the average. Memo: you have to start out somewhere. Entry levels are usually at the bottom of the totem poll.
people on other forum boards, namely the indeed.com boards complain all the time how dental assistants and hygienists make crap and mostly work part time. Just go on there and look for yourself. Also, look at the job ads and see how much they're willing to start people at. The money is in becoming a dentist or oral surgeon. All these other jobs below that, you really don't make much. 68K is probably 15 years on the job and working for a top dentist in an LLC or other professional partnership. Find out for yourself.
First, let me state on record that I HATE these lists. Second, as a Hygienist, let me state that this career field has a lot of myths surrounding it and the general public sees us as merely tooth pickers. We are educated on soooo much more than just "picking teeth." What we do, requires good hand dexterity, critical thinking, the ability to deal with cranky people who are filled with anxiety on a consistent basis, plus deal with people's dirty mouths and I mean that literally. :roll eyes: We are educated on whole body connection to the mouth. So when research comes out that connects the bacteria in your mouth to the inflammation in your body and the connection that inflammation has to diseases such as diabetes, I have to read it, process it, THEN communicate that to my patients, who think I'm just "picking' their teeth."
To answer your questions How much do they earn starting out? This depends strictly on what state you live in. In the Midwest, $20-27 per hour. On the Coasts, $30-40 per hour. Finding full time work however is very, very difficult. So when they say a median salary that's for the lucky RDH's on one of the coasts in a full time position.
Humanities major in 4 year colleges start out with 30-something thousand salary. (What's your point here?) How much do beginning dental hygienists make straight out of their 2 year college? You asked this same question above….
It's not JUST two years of college. MOST RDH's have a bachelor's. There has been an influx of 2 year DH programs that have cropped up but that's strictly for the DH program. Almost all of them require at least 30 some odd college pre-requisites. For example, I have almost 120 credits, but only was awarded an AAS in Dental Hygiene because I chose to attend a Community College program. I had to have 32 credits to even attempt to apply for acceptance to the program. I could wax poetic on the reasons they chose to have RDH's only be awarded Associates Degrees but the simple point is that it comes down to affordability, which is kinda funny actually. I honestly wish I had gone straight to a bachelor's program.
But I don't need a bachelor's to take the two boards exams to be licensed. WHICH btw require a LIVE patient. The only allied medical board that requires such a thing. I'm facing trying to find a patient right now so that I can get licensed in the new state I live in. Despite the fact that I already have a current, active license to practice in another state. I have to take the boards over again because my husband transferred for his job. So it's going to cost me about $6K to take the extra classes I need, pay for the board, then pay for my license, plus finding the perfect, qualified patient (because if they don't qualify, I fail the exam before I even get going.) that has 12 teeth with very specific plaque buildup and then compensate them for their time.
So forgive me if I get a little annoyed when people infer that we are just picking teeth and for WHY would we EVER be paid so much!
ETA: just wanted to add that I genuinely LOVE being a Hygienist. I was lucky to find what I wanted to be when I "grew up."
Last edited by RDH35; 05-17-2014 at 12:10 PM..
Reason: Added...
Despite the fact that I already have a current, active license to practice in another state. I have to take the boards over again because my husband transferred for his job.
These kind of problems transferring your professional license are BS if you ask me. There's no reason a license earned in NJ shouldn't be valid in PA. It's all protectionism BS, there should be national standards so a Plumber, Electrician, Beautician, Therapist, etc… should be able to work in ANY state once licensed in one state.
I don’t know if it true for all dental hygienists, but if you don’t show up for an appointment, they don’t get paid. I now make a point of making sure I show up for appointments or if I have to cancel, do so in plenty of time so they can fill the appointment slot.
I just wanted to give props to my dental hygienist and hope she's making a lot of money...she measured the gap between my gums and my teeth on the last deep cleaning I had so I could have a baseline and we could determine the proper steps to keeping my mouth in good shape. She was very particular, all the while being careful to not hurt me...she was friendly and professional...and I was glad to have her working on my mouth!!
I suspect, as from witnessing her in action, that it's difficult and precise...and I was thankful to have such an awesome lady help me out!
Based upon the nice new SUV's in the employee parking area at our dentist, yes, they make some really decent money.
Or they are up to their eyeballs in debt, you never know what their situation is. It seems like the banks still give out loans to anyone with a pulse these days.
These kind of problems transferring your professional license are BS if you ask me. There's no reason a license earned in NJ shouldn't be valid in PA. It's all protectionism BS, there should be national standards so a Plumber, Electrician, Beautician, Therapist, etc… should be able to work in ANY state once licensed in one state.
I don’t know if it true for all dental hygienists, but if you don’t show up for an appointment, they don’t get paid. I now make a point of making sure I show up for appointments or if I have to cancel, do so in plenty of time so they can fill the appointment slot.
There are a million reasons and the protectionism is just one. It drives me ten levels of crazy.
To your other point as to if you don't show, they don't get paid...that depends upon how they are paid. Some RDH's are paid on commission where they receive a a percentage of either what they produce or what is collected while others are paid hourly. Very few are paid a set salary. It is awesome that you are cognizant of showing to your appointment. I would say 70% of people show on time, ready to go. The other 30% act like it's just not a big deal to take an hour appointment block and then no show. To me it's common courtesy but different strokes for different folks. It is an interesting correlation though, who ends up needing emergency appointments...It's typically the no-shower's. But that's my personal anecdotal observation.
Or they are up to their eyeballs in debt, you never know what their situation is. It seems like the banks still give out loans to anyone with a pulse these days.
It does indeed take money to make money. I'm pretty sure the dentist had 300k+ worth of student debt to pay back. But with the high salaries it's a decent investment.
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