How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Denver, CO in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Denver, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Colorado.
BLS OES May 2025 · Denver · Aurora · Centennial metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Denver, Colorado earns $54.69 per hour, or $113,760 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $9,480 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $100,890, and the top 10% of earners make over $128,020.
That pay is 4% above the Colorado figure of $109,580 and 16% above the national figure of $98,100. Denver ranks 3rd of 7 metro areas in Colorado for Dental Hygienist pay. About 2,100 Dental Hygienists work in the Denver · Aurora · Centennial area. Denver is part of the Denver · Aurora · Centennial metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Aurora and Centennial share these figures.
Dental Hygienist pay in Denver at a glance
- Typical pay is $54.69 an hour, or $113,760 a year.
- That is 4% above the Colorado figure, ranking 3rd of 7 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $100,890; the top 10% make over $128,020.
- Typical pay rose +35% from 2015 to 2025, against +35% for Colorado as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Denver?
Pay in Denver runs from entry-level positions at around $48.50 an hour to more than $61.55 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 Denver
| Career stage | Denver | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $100,890$48.50 an hour | $95,680$46.00 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $103,360$49.69 an hour | $102,580$49.32 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $113,760$54.69 an hour | $109,580$52.68 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $126,860$60.99 an hour | $125,470$60.32 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $128,020$61.55 an hour | $128,900$61.97 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Denver · Aurora · Centennial area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Denver
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the Denver · Aurora · Centennial area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Denver was $84,430 a year. By 2025 it had reached $113,760, a change of +35%, compared with +35% for Colorado over the same years.
How Denver compares with other Colorado cities
Boulder pays Dental Hygienists the most in Colorado at $130,000 a year, $16,240 more than Denver. The lowest-paying area in the state is Pueblo at $98,700.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Denver | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boulder | $130,000 | $62.50 | +14% | 300 |
| 2 | Colorado Springs | $118,410 | $56.93 | +4% | 500 |
| 3 | Denver metro incl. Aurora · Centennial | $113,760 | $54.69 | this city | 2,100 |
| 4 | Greeley | $110,080 | $52.92 | -3% | 140 |
| 5 | Fort Collins metro incl. Loveland | $106,650 | $51.27 | -6% | 450 |
| 6 | Grand Junction | $98,910 | $47.55 | -13% | 170 |
| 7 | Pueblo | $98,700 | $47.45 | -13% | 140 |
Every metro area in Colorado with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Colorado typical pay $109,580
Is Denver a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists in Denver earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $113,760 a year, 16% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Denver · Aurora · Centennial area, about 1.3 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 Denver, CO?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Denver earns $113,760 a year, or $54.69 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $100,890 and the top 10% earn over $128,020.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Denver?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Denver is $54.69. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $48.50, and the top 10% earn over $61.55 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Denver?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Denver typically offer around $48.50 an hour, or $100,890 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Denver higher than in the rest of Colorado?
- Denver pay is 4% above the Colorado figure of $109,580 a year, ranking 3rd of 7 metro areas in the state. Boulder pays the most in Colorado at $130,000.