How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Portage, MI in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Portage, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Michigan.
BLS OES May 2025 · Kalamazoo · Portage metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Portage, Michigan earns $38.30 per hour, or $79,670 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $6,639 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $75,430, and the top 10% of earners make over $99,400.
That pay is 5% below the Michigan figure of $83,790 and 19% below the national figure of $98,100. Portage ranks 12th of 16 metro areas in Michigan for Dental Hygienist pay. About 250 Dental Hygienists work in the Kalamazoo · Portage area. Portage is part of the Kalamazoo · Portage metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Kalamazoo share these figures.
Dental Hygienist pay in Portage at a glance
- Typical pay is $38.30 an hour, or $79,670 a year.
- That is 5% below the Michigan figure, ranking 12th of 16 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $75,430; the top 10% make over $99,400.
- Typical pay rose +32% from 2015 to 2025, against +37% for Michigan as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Portage?
Pay in Portage runs from entry-level positions at around $36.27 an hour to more than $47.79 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Michigan and national figures.
Dental Hygienist pay by career stage in Portage
| Career stage | Portage | Michigan | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $75,430$36.27 an hour | $77,230$37.13 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $78,640$37.81 an hour | $79,670$38.30 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $79,670$38.30 an hour | $83,790$40.28 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $93,860$45.13 an hour | $93,310$44.86 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $99,400$47.79 an hour | $96,970$46.62 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Kalamazoo · Portage area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Portage
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the Kalamazoo · Portage area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Portage was $60,520 a year. By 2025 it had reached $79,670, a change of +32%, compared with +37% for Michigan over the same years.
How Portage compares with other Michigan cities
Ann Arbor pays Dental Hygienists the most in Michigan at $91,900 a year, $12,230 more than Portage. The lowest-paying area in the state is Monroe at $78,660.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Portage | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ann Arbor | $91,900 | $44.18 | +15% | 360 |
| 2 | Lansing metro incl. East Lansing | $90,710 | $43.61 | +14% | 450 |
| 3 | Detroit | $84,480 | $40.61 | +6% | 3,780 |
| 4 | Wyoming metro incl. Grand Rapids · Kentwood | $84,290 | $40.52 | +6% | 1,160 |
| 5 | Mishawaka | $82,650 | $39.74 | +4% | 280 |
| 6 | Midland | $82,160 | $39.50 | +3% | 110 |
| 7 | Traverse City | $81,570 | $39.22 | +2% | 190 |
| 8 | Flint | $81,500 | $39.18 | +2% | 440 |
| 9 | Niles | $80,020 | $38.47 | 0% | 100 |
| 10 | Bay City | $79,920 | $38.42 | 0% | 90 |
| 11 | Battle Creek | $79,700 | $38.32 | 0% | 80 |
| 12 | Portage metro incl. Kalamazoo | $79,670 | $38.30 | this city | 250 |
| 13 | Norton Shores metro incl. Muskegon | $79,660 | $38.30 | 0% | 90 |
| 14 | Saginaw | $79,400 | $38.18 | 0% | 160 |
| 15 | Jackson | $78,990 | $37.98 | -1% | 110 |
| 16 | Monroe | $78,660 | $37.82 | -1% | 60 |
Every metro area in Michigan with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Michigan typical pay $83,790
Is Portage a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists in Portage earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $79,670 a year, 19% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Kalamazoo · Portage area, about 2.1 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 Portage, MI?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Portage earns $79,670 a year, or $38.30 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $75,430 and the top 10% earn over $99,400.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Portage?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Portage is $38.30. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $36.27, and the top 10% earn over $47.79 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Portage?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Portage typically offer around $36.27 an hour, or $75,430 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Portage higher than in the rest of Michigan?
- Portage pay is 5% below the Michigan figure of $83,790 a year, ranking 12th of 16 metro areas in the state. Ann Arbor pays the most in Michigan at $91,900.