How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Birmingham, AL in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Birmingham, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Alabama.
BLS OES May 2025 · Birmingham metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Birmingham, Alabama earns $29.68 per hour, or $61,730 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $5,144 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $56,990, and the top 10% of earners make over $74,070.
That pay is 1% above the Alabama figure of $61,160 and 37% below the national figure of $98,100. Birmingham ranks 2nd of 12 metro areas in Alabama for Dental Hygienist pay. About 1,150 Dental Hygienists work in the Birmingham area.
Dental Hygienist pay in Birmingham at a glance
- Typical pay is $29.68 an hour, or $61,730 a year.
- That is 1% above the Alabama figure, ranking 2nd of 12 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $56,990; the top 10% make over $74,070.
- Typical pay rose +38% from 2015 to 2025, against +36% for Alabama as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Birmingham?
Pay in Birmingham runs from entry-level positions at around $27.40 an hour to more than $35.61 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Alabama and national figures.
Dental Hygienist pay by career stage in Birmingham
| Career stage | Birmingham | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $56,990$27.40 an hour | $48,960$23.54 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $61,030$29.34 an hour | $58,800$28.27 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $61,730$29.68 an hour | $61,160$29.41 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $70,500$33.89 an hour | $63,410$30.49 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $74,070$35.61 an hour | $72,410$34.81 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Birmingham area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Birmingham
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the Birmingham area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Birmingham was $44,670 a year. By 2025 it had reached $61,730, a change of +38%, compared with +36% for Alabama over the same years.
How Birmingham compares with other Alabama cities
Huntsville pays Dental Hygienists the most in Alabama at $62,370 a year, $640 more than Birmingham. The lowest-paying area in the state is Gadsden at $55,840.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Birmingham | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huntsville | $62,370 | $29.98 | +1% | 360 |
| 2 | Birmingham | $61,730 | $29.68 | this city | 1,150 |
| 3 | Decatur | $61,340 | $29.49 | -1% | 80 |
| 4 | Foley | $61,000 | $29.33 | -1% | 160 |
| 5 | Mobile | $60,710 | $29.19 | -2% | 200 |
| 6 | Tuscaloosa | $60,500 | $29.09 | -2% | 130 |
| 7 | Opelika metro incl. Auburn | $60,490 | $29.08 | -2% | 90 |
| 8 | Montgomery | $60,120 | $28.91 | -3% | 190 |
| 9 | Florence metro incl. Muscle Shoals | $58,660 | $28.20 | -5% | 80 |
| 10 | Dothan | $58,310 | $28.04 | -6% | 100 |
| 11 | Anniston metro incl. Oxford | $56,950 | $27.38 | -8% | 70 |
| 12 | Gadsden | $55,840 | $26.85 | -10% | 60 |
Every metro area in Alabama with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Alabama typical pay $61,160
Is Birmingham a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists in Birmingham earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $61,730 a year, 37% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Birmingham area, about 2.2 are Dental Hygienist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.4. That makes the local economy more reliant on Dental Hygienists than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Birmingham, AL?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Birmingham earns $61,730 a year, or $29.68 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $56,990 and the top 10% earn over $74,070.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Birmingham?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Birmingham is $29.68. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $27.40, and the top 10% earn over $35.61 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Birmingham?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Birmingham typically offer around $27.40 an hour, or $56,990 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Birmingham higher than in the rest of Alabama?
- Birmingham pay is 1% above the Alabama figure of $61,160 a year, ranking 2nd of 12 metro areas in the state. Huntsville pays the most in Alabama at $62,370.