How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Lake Charles, LA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Lake Charles, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Louisiana.
BLS OES May 2025 · Lake Charles metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Lake Charles, Louisiana earns $40.42 per hour, or $84,080 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $7,007 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $62,950, and the top 10% of earners make over $92,910.
That pay is 1% below the Louisiana figure of $85,240 and 14% below the national figure of $98,100. Lake Charles ranks 4th of 10 metro areas in Louisiana for Dental Hygienist pay. About 120 Dental Hygienists work in the Lake Charles area.
Dental Hygienist pay in Lake Charles at a glance
- Typical pay is $40.42 an hour, or $84,080 a year.
- That is 1% below the Louisiana figure, ranking 4th of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $62,950; the top 10% make over $92,910.
- Typical pay rose +98% from 2015 to 2025, against +55% for Louisiana as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Lake Charles?
Pay in Lake Charles runs from entry-level positions at around $30.27 an hour to more than $44.67 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 Lake Charles
| Career stage | Lake Charles | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $62,950$30.27 an hour | $49,900$23.99 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $75,570$36.33 an hour | $79,550$38.25 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $84,080$40.42 an hour | $85,240$40.98 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $87,460$42.05 an hour | $96,010$46.16 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $92,910$44.67 an hour | $98,330$47.27 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Lake Charles area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Lake Charles
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the Lake Charles area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Lake Charles was $42,440 a year. By 2025 it had reached $84,080, a change of +98%, compared with +55% for Louisiana over the same years.
How Lake Charles compares with other Louisiana cities
New Orleans pays Dental Hygienists the most in Louisiana at $93,650 a year, $9,570 more than Lake Charles. The lowest-paying area in the state is Monroe at $79,530.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Lake Charles | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans metro incl. Metairie | $93,650 | $45.02 | +11% | 840 |
| 2 | Baton Rouge | $92,700 | $44.57 | +10% | 410 |
| 3 | Mandeville | $85,920 | $41.31 | +2% | 230 |
| 4 | Lake Charles | $84,080 | $40.42 | this city | 120 |
| 5 | Bossier City metro incl. Shreveport | $82,760 | $39.79 | -2% | 260 |
| 6 | Lafayette | $81,900 | $39.38 | -3% | 200 |
| 7 | Hammond | $81,840 | $39.35 | -3% | 70 |
| 8 | Houma metro incl. Bayou Cane · Thibodaux | $81,800 | $39.33 | -3% | 120 |
| 9 | Alexandria | $80,330 | $38.62 | -4% | 80 |
| 10 | Monroe | $79,530 | $38.24 | -5% | 160 |
Every metro area in Louisiana with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Louisiana typical pay $85,240
Is Lake Charles a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists in Lake Charles earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $84,080 a year, 14% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Lake Charles area, about 1.2 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 Lake Charles, LA?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Lake Charles earns $84,080 a year, or $40.42 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $62,950 and the top 10% earn over $92,910.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Lake Charles?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Lake Charles is $40.42. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $30.27, and the top 10% earn over $44.67 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Lake Charles?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Lake Charles typically offer around $30.27 an hour, or $62,950 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Lake Charles higher than in the rest of Louisiana?
- Lake Charles pay is 1% below the Louisiana figure of $85,240 a year, ranking 4th of 10 metro areas in the state. New Orleans pays the most in Louisiana at $93,650.