How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in New Orleans, LA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in New Orleans, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Louisiana.
BLS OES May 2025 · New Orleans · Metairie metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in New Orleans, Louisiana earns $45.02 per hour, or $93,650 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $7,804 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $45,840, and the top 10% of earners make over $98,330.
That pay is 10% above the Louisiana figure of $85,240 and 5% below the national figure of $98,100. New Orleans ranks 1st of 10 metro areas in Louisiana for Dental Hygienist pay. About 840 Dental Hygienists work in the New Orleans · Metairie area. New Orleans is part of the New Orleans · Metairie metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Metairie share these figures.
Dental Hygienist pay in New Orleans at a glance
- Typical pay is $45.02 an hour, or $93,650 a year.
- That is 10% above the Louisiana figure, ranking 1st of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $45,840; the top 10% make over $98,330.
- Typical pay rose +60% from 2015 to 2025, against +55% for Louisiana as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in New Orleans?
Pay in New Orleans runs from entry-level positions at around $22.04 an hour to more than $47.27 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 New Orleans
| Career stage | New Orleans | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $45,840$22.04 an hour | $49,900$23.99 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $82,940$39.88 an hour | $79,550$38.25 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $93,650$45.02 an hour | $85,240$40.98 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $98,020$47.12 an hour | $96,010$46.16 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $98,330$47.27 an hour | $98,330$47.27 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the New Orleans · Metairie area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in New Orleans
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the New Orleans · Metairie area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in New Orleans was $58,490 a year. By 2025 it had reached $93,650, a change of +60%, compared with +55% for Louisiana over the same years.
How New Orleans compares with other Louisiana cities
New Orleans pays Dental Hygienists the most of any metro area in Louisiana. The lowest-paying area in the state is Monroe at $79,530.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs New Orleans | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans metro incl. Metairie | $93,650 | $45.02 | this city | 840 |
| 2 | Baton Rouge | $92,700 | $44.57 | -1% | 410 |
| 3 | Mandeville | $85,920 | $41.31 | -8% | 230 |
| 4 | Lake Charles | $84,080 | $40.42 | -10% | 120 |
| 5 | Bossier City metro incl. Shreveport | $82,760 | $39.79 | -12% | 260 |
| 6 | Lafayette | $81,900 | $39.38 | -13% | 200 |
| 7 | Hammond | $81,840 | $39.35 | -13% | 70 |
| 8 | Houma metro incl. Bayou Cane · Thibodaux | $81,800 | $39.33 | -13% | 120 |
| 9 | Alexandria | $80,330 | $38.62 | -14% | 80 |
| 10 | Monroe | $79,530 | $38.24 | -15% | 160 |
Every metro area in Louisiana with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Louisiana typical pay $85,240
Is New Orleans a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists in New Orleans earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $93,650 a year, 5% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the New Orleans · Metairie area, about 1.9 are Dental Hygienist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.4. That makes the local economy more reliant on Dental Hygienists than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make in New Orleans, LA?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in New Orleans earns $93,650 a year, or $45.02 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $45,840 and the top 10% earn over $98,330.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in New Orleans?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in New Orleans is $45.02. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $22.04, and the top 10% earn over $47.27 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in New Orleans?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in New Orleans typically offer around $22.04 an hour, or $45,840 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in New Orleans higher than in the rest of Louisiana?
- New Orleans pay is 10% above the Louisiana figure of $85,240 a year, ranking 1st of 10 metro areas in the state.