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

A typical Dental Hygienist in Mississippi earns about $32.35 per hour, or $67,280 per year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Broken down further, that comes to roughly $5,607 a month and $1,294 a week, both figures calculated from the annual median. These numbers describe typical pay across the state before location or experience are factored in.

That pay sits 31% below the national figure of $98,100 a year for Dental Hygienists, according to the same data. Mississippi ranks 49th among the 50 states for this occupation, with only one state paying less. About 1,140 Dental Hygienists work in Mississippi, a workforce size that gives scale to these figures. Pay that trails the national figure by this much usually reflects a lower cost of living in the state.

Entry-level positions in Mississippi typically offer around $28.27 an hour, or about $58,810 a year, for those just starting out as Dental Hygienists. Pay at this stage reflects less time in the chair and fewer patient hours logged. Within a few years, most hygienists see pay move up toward the state's typical figure of $67,280. Building a steady client base and gaining speed with procedures both play a role in that climb.

Experienced Dental Hygienists in Mississippi often earn upwards of $74,600 a year, or $35.86 an hour, once they've built years of steady work. The top 10% of earners make over $83,320 a year, or $40.06 an hour. That leaves a spread of $24,510 between entry-level and top pay across the state. Setting, years of experience, and the city where a hygienist works all factor into where someone lands within that range.

Mississippi Dental Hygienists saw pay climb from $55,550 in 2015 to $67,280 in 2025, a gain of $11,730. That works out to a 21% rise over the decade, according to the same wage data tracked year over year. The increase was not perfectly steady, dipping slightly in 2019 and 2020 before climbing again through 2025.

Nationally, pay for this occupation rose 36% over the same ten years, a faster pace than Mississippi's climb. Pay for Dental Hygienists in Mississippi has moved up each year on the whole, though not as quickly as the national trend. Someone starting out now enters a field where pay has trended upward, though nothing about future pay is guaranteed.

Pay runs highest in Gulfport, where Dental Hygienists typically earn $73,500 a year, or $35.34 an hour, covering the full metro area. That is 9% above the statewide figure of $67,280. Biloxi matches Gulfport exactly at $73,500 a year, making the Gulf Coast the strongest region in the state for pay.

Hattiesburg pays the least among Mississippi's listed cities, with typical pay of $65,360 a year, or $31.42 an hour. That puts the spread between the highest- and lowest-paying cities at $8,140. Jackson employs the most Dental Hygienists of any Mississippi city, with 320 working there, even though its pay of $67,270 sits closer to the middle. Cities with higher pay also tend to carry a higher cost of living.

Mississippi pays less than three of its four neighbors. Arkansas leads the region at $86,760 a year, 29% above Mississippi's figure, with Louisiana and Tennessee close behind at $85,240 and $84,640. Alabama is the exception, paying 9% less than Mississippi at $61,160. A Dental Hygienist license earned in Mississippi can often be transferred or endorsed into a neighboring state, though requirements vary.

Dental Hygienists in Mississippi typically earn $67,280 a year, or $32.35 an hour, a figure that has risen 21% over the past decade. Pay varies some by city and tends to run below the national figure, largely reflecting Mississippi's lower cost of living. Readers weighing a move or a new license should check the state licensing board's requirements and review city-level pages for local pay figures before deciding where to work.