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

A typical Dental Hygienist in Montana earns about $47.33 per hour ($98,440 per year), according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Broken down from that annual figure, pay works out to roughly $8,203 a month and $1,893 a week. These numbers reflect hygienists working across private dental practices, clinics, and public health settings statewide. Montana's pay for this role sits close to what hygienists earn nationally.

This pay is nearly identical to the national figure of $98,100 a year, putting Montana's typical rate about even with the rest of the country. Among all 50 states, Montana ranks 19th for Dental Hygienist pay, placing it in the upper half nationally. About 860 Dental Hygienists work across the state, a modest workforce that still supports dental practices in cities both large and small.

Entry-level positions in Montana typically offer around $39.93 an hour ($83,060 a year) for Dental Hygienists just starting out, according to the same May 2025 data. This reflects hygienists newer to the field or working fewer clinical hours. Pay tends to move up from there as hygienists gain experience, build patient loads, and take on more responsibility. Within a few years, many reach Montana's typical rate of $98,440 a year.

Experienced Dental Hygienists in Montana often earn upwards of $45.41 to $48.52 an hour, reflecting the profession's middle-to-upper range. The top 10% of earners make over $104,780 a year, a $21,720 gap between the newest hygienists and the most experienced ones. That spread comes down to years on the job, the type of practice, and which city a hygienist works in. Bozeman and Billings tend to offer the higher end of that range.

Montana's typical Dental Hygienist pay has climbed from $69,880 in 2015 to $98,440 in 2025, a gain of $28,560 over the decade according to government wage data. That amounts to a 41% rise in typical pay over ten years. The increase has been fairly steady year over year, with a notable jump between 2022 and 2023 as pay moved from $83,180 to $90,210.

Nationally, Dental Hygienist pay rose 36% over the same ten years, a bit slower than Montana's climb. Montana's decade of growth outpaced the national trend, though both reflect a profession where pay has moved up steadily. For someone starting now, this history shows pay has risen in Montana over time, though past gains don't guarantee future increases. Current pay in the state already reflects that decade of change.

Bozeman pays Montana's Dental Hygienists the most, with typical earnings of $104,650 a year ($50.31 an hour), about 6% above the state figure. Billings follows at $99,410 a year, and Helena at $98,200, both close to Montana's typical pay. These figures reflect each city's full metro area rather than city limits alone. Hygienists in Montana's larger urban centers tend to see pay at or above the statewide typical rate.

Great Falls pays the least among Montana's tracked cities, with typical earnings of $94,460 a year ($45.41 an hour). That's a spread of $10,190 between Montana's highest- and lowest-paying cities. Billings has the largest Dental Hygienist workforce in the state, with 160 hygienists employed there. Pay differences between cities usually track differences in local living costs rather than anything else.

Montana pays its Dental Hygienists more than every neighboring state. Idaho comes closest at $94,650 a year, about 4% below Montana, while Wyoming trails furthest at $85,130, some 14% lower. South Dakota and North Dakota fall in between, at $92,210 and $90,530. Hygienists licensed in Montana can often transfer or endorse that license into a neighboring state, making moves across these borders relatively straightforward.

Montana's Dental Hygienists typically earn $98,440 a year as of the latest data, up 41% over the past decade. Pay varies by city and experience, from entry-level rates near $83,060 to over $104,780 for the most experienced hygienists. Readers considering this career in Montana should check the state's dental board for licensing requirements, and review individual city pages for local pay figures before deciding where to practice.