How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Idaho in 2026?

A typical Dental Hygienist in Idaho earns about $45.51 per hour ($94,650 per year), per the latest government wage data (May 2025). Figured out across a full year, that comes to roughly $7,888 a month. On a weekly basis, calculated from the annual figure, pay works out to about $1,820. These figures cover Idaho's full range of dental hygiene positions, from clinics to larger practices.

That pay sits 4% below the national figure of $98,100 a year, placing Idaho 29th among the 50 states. The comparison mostly comes down to cost of living, since lower pay in Idaho tends to track lower living expenses in much of the state. Around 2,060 Dental Hygienists work across Idaho, a workforce size that puts the numbers above in context.

Entry-level Dental Hygienists in Idaho typically start around $41.16 an hour, or about $85,610 a year. That's the starting point for those newer to the field or working fewer hours. Pay tends to move toward the typical figure of $94,650 a year within the first few years on the job. Setting and location both play a role in how quickly that happens.

Experienced Dental Hygienists in Idaho often earn upwards of $49.68 an hour, and the top 10% of earners make over $103,340 a year. That leaves a spread of $17,730 between entry-level and top pay. Years on the job, practice setting, and city all factor into where someone lands within that range. Hygienists in larger practices or higher-paying cities tend to sit closer to the top.

Idaho's typical pay for Dental Hygienists climbed from $73,250 in 2015 to $94,650 in 2025, a gain of $21,400. That's a rise of 29% over the decade, with the biggest jump coming between 2021 and 2022. Growth wasn't perfectly steady each year, but the overall direction stayed upward across the ten-year stretch.

The national rise over the same period was 36%, so Idaho's growth ran somewhat slower than the country as a whole. Pay for Dental Hygienists in Idaho has still moved up steadily, year after year, without any promise of what comes next. Someone starting out today enters a field where earnings have trended higher for a decade running.

Pay runs highest in Coeur d'Alene, where Dental Hygienists typically earn $99,650 a year ($47.91 an hour), about 5% above the statewide figure. Lewiston follows closely at $98,450 a year, and Idaho Falls comes in at $95,700. Each of these figures reflects pay across the full metro area surrounding each city, not just the city center.

Pocatello pays the least among Idaho's tracked cities, with Dental Hygienists earning $93,060 a year, putting the spread between the highest and lowest cities at $6,590. Boise City holds the largest Dental Hygienist workforce in the state, with 1,020 professionals, even though its pay of $94,650 sits below Coeur d'Alene's. Cities with higher pay generally carry higher living costs, so the gap doesn't necessarily mean more money left over each month.

Among neighboring states, Washington pays the most, with Dental Hygienists earning $131,160 a year, 39% higher than Idaho. Oregon and Nevada also pay more, at $122,080 and $115,290, and Montana runs slightly ahead at $98,440. Utah and Wyoming pay less, at $91,120 and $85,130. Dental hygiene licenses can often be transferred or endorsed between neighboring states, which makes it easier to compare or pursue opportunities across state lines.

Dental Hygienists in Idaho typically earn $94,650 a year, a figure that has climbed 29% over the past decade. Pay varies somewhat by city and experience, but the overall trend has moved upward. Readers weighing a move into or within the field can check Idaho's dental hygiene licensing and registry requirements, and compare local figures on the city pages for Boise City, Coeur d'Alene, and other Idaho metro areas.