How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Lafayette, LA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Lafayette, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Louisiana.
BLS OES May 2025 · Lafayette metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Lafayette, Louisiana earns $39.38 per hour, or $81,900 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $6,825 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $49,450, and the top 10% of earners make over $96,310.
That pay is 4% below the Louisiana figure of $85,240 and 17% below the national figure of $98,100. Lafayette ranks 6th of 10 metro areas in Louisiana for Dental Hygienist pay. About 200 Dental Hygienists work in the Lafayette area.
Dental Hygienist pay in Lafayette at a glance
- Typical pay is $39.38 an hour, or $81,900 a year.
- That is 4% below the Louisiana figure, ranking 6th of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $49,450; the top 10% make over $96,310.
- Typical pay rose +74% from 2015 to 2025, against +55% for Louisiana as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Lafayette?
Pay in Lafayette runs from entry-level positions at around $23.78 an hour to more than $46.30 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Louisiana and national figures.
Dental Hygienist pay by career stage in Lafayette
| Career stage | Lafayette | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $49,450$23.78 an hour | $49,900$23.99 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $80,810$38.85 an hour | $79,550$38.25 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $81,900$39.38 an hour | $85,240$40.98 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $91,520$44.00 an hour | $96,010$46.16 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $96,310$46.30 an hour | $98,330$47.27 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Lafayette area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Lafayette
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the Lafayette area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Lafayette was $47,110 a year. By 2025 it had reached $81,900, a change of +74%, compared with +55% for Louisiana over the same years.
How Lafayette compares with other Louisiana cities
New Orleans pays Dental Hygienists the most in Louisiana at $93,650 a year, $11,750 more than Lafayette. The lowest-paying area in the state is Monroe at $79,530.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Lafayette | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans metro incl. Metairie | $93,650 | $45.02 | +14% | 840 |
| 2 | Baton Rouge | $92,700 | $44.57 | +13% | 410 |
| 3 | Mandeville | $85,920 | $41.31 | +5% | 230 |
| 4 | Lake Charles | $84,080 | $40.42 | +3% | 120 |
| 5 | Bossier City metro incl. Shreveport | $82,760 | $39.79 | +1% | 260 |
| 6 | Lafayette | $81,900 | $39.38 | this city | 200 |
| 7 | Hammond | $81,840 | $39.35 | 0% | 70 |
| 8 | Houma metro incl. Bayou Cane · Thibodaux | $81,800 | $39.33 | 0% | 120 |
| 9 | Alexandria | $80,330 | $38.62 | -2% | 80 |
| 10 | Monroe | $79,530 | $38.24 | -3% | 160 |
Every metro area in Louisiana with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Louisiana typical pay $85,240
Is Lafayette a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists in Lafayette earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $81,900 a year, 17% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Lafayette area, about 1.1 are Dental Hygienist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.5. That makes Dental Hygienists a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Lafayette, LA?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Lafayette earns $81,900 a year, or $39.38 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $49,450 and the top 10% earn over $96,310.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Lafayette?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Lafayette is $39.38. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $23.78, and the top 10% earn over $46.30 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Lafayette?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Lafayette typically offer around $23.78 an hour, or $49,450 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Lafayette higher than in the rest of Louisiana?
- Lafayette pay is 4% below the Louisiana figure of $85,240 a year, ranking 6th of 10 metro areas in the state. New Orleans pays the most in Louisiana at $93,650.