How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Boulder, CO in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Boulder, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Colorado.
BLS OES May 2025 · Boulder metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Boulder, Colorado earns $62.50 per hour, or $130,000 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $10,833 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $93,600, and the top 10% of earners make over $133,460.
That pay is 19% above the Colorado figure of $109,580 and 33% above the national figure of $98,100. Boulder ranks 1st of 7 metro areas in Colorado for Dental Hygienist pay. About 300 Dental Hygienists work in the Boulder area.
Dental Hygienist pay in Boulder at a glance
- Typical pay is $62.50 an hour, or $130,000 a year.
- That is 19% above the Colorado figure, ranking 1st of 7 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $93,600; the top 10% make over $133,460.
- Typical pay rose +56% from 2015 to 2025, against +35% for Colorado as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Boulder?
Pay in Boulder runs from entry-level positions at around $45.00 an hour to more than $64.16 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Colorado and national figures.
Dental Hygienist pay by career stage in Boulder
| Career stage | Boulder | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $93,600$45.00 an hour | $95,680$46.00 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $110,470$53.11 an hour | $102,580$49.32 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $130,000$62.50 an hour | $109,580$52.68 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $133,150$64.02 an hour | $125,470$60.32 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $133,460$64.16 an hour | $128,900$61.97 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Boulder area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Boulder
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the Boulder area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Boulder was $83,410 a year. By 2025 it had reached $130,000, a change of +56%, compared with +35% for Colorado over the same years.
How Boulder compares with other Colorado cities
Boulder pays Dental Hygienists the most of any metro area in Colorado. The lowest-paying area in the state is Pueblo at $98,700.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Boulder | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boulder | $130,000 | $62.50 | this city | 300 |
| 2 | Colorado Springs | $118,410 | $56.93 | -9% | 500 |
| 3 | Denver metro incl. Aurora · Centennial | $113,760 | $54.69 | -12% | 2,100 |
| 4 | Greeley | $110,080 | $52.92 | -15% | 140 |
| 5 | Fort Collins metro incl. Loveland | $106,650 | $51.27 | -18% | 450 |
| 6 | Grand Junction | $98,910 | $47.55 | -24% | 170 |
| 7 | Pueblo | $98,700 | $47.45 | -24% | 140 |
Every metro area in Colorado with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Colorado typical pay $109,580
Is Boulder a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists in Boulder earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $130,000 a year, 33% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Boulder area, about 1.6 are Dental Hygienist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.4. Dental Hygienist jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Boulder, CO?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Boulder earns $130,000 a year, or $62.50 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $93,600 and the top 10% earn over $133,460.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Boulder?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Boulder is $62.50. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $45.00, and the top 10% earn over $64.16 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Boulder?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Boulder typically offer around $45.00 an hour, or $93,600 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Boulder higher than in the rest of Colorado?
- Boulder pay is 19% above the Colorado figure of $109,580 a year, ranking 1st of 7 metro areas in the state.