How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Asheville, NC in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Asheville, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across North Carolina.
BLS OES May 2025 · Asheville metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Asheville, North Carolina earns $48.64 per hour, or $101,170 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $8,431 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $81,440, and the top 10% of earners make over $107,230.
That pay is 3% above the North Carolina figure of $97,850 and 3% above the national figure of $98,100. Asheville ranks 2nd of 16 metro areas in North Carolina for Dental Hygienist pay. About 300 Dental Hygienists work in the Asheville area.
Dental Hygienist pay in Asheville at a glance
- Typical pay is $48.64 an hour, or $101,170 a year.
- That is 3% above the North Carolina figure, ranking 2nd of 16 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $81,440; the top 10% make over $107,230.
- Typical pay rose +86% from 2015 to 2025, against +44% for North Carolina as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Asheville?
Pay in Asheville runs from entry-level positions at around $39.16 an hour to more than $51.56 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the North Carolina and national figures.
Dental Hygienist pay by career stage in Asheville
| Career stage | Asheville | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $81,440$39.16 an hour | $77,270$37.15 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $98,080$47.16 an hour | $84,150$40.46 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $101,170$48.64 an hour | $97,850$47.04 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $104,490$50.24 an hour | $100,930$48.53 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $107,230$51.56 an hour | $103,850$49.93 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Asheville area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Asheville
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the Asheville area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Asheville was $54,420 a year. By 2025 it had reached $101,170, a change of +86%, compared with +44% for North Carolina over the same years.
How Asheville compares with other North Carolina cities
Durham pays Dental Hygienists the most in North Carolina at $101,460 a year, $290 more than Asheville. The lowest-paying area in the state is Jacksonville at $82,380.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Asheville | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham metro incl. Chapel Hill | $101,460 | $48.78 | 0% | 350 |
| 2 | Asheville | $101,170 | $48.64 | this city | 300 |
| 3 | Norfolk metro incl. Chesapeake | $98,890 | $47.54 | -2% | 940 |
| 4 | Cary metro incl. Raleigh | $98,800 | $47.50 | -2% | 1,220 |
| 5 | Charlotte | $98,390 | $47.30 | -3% | 1,910 |
| 6 | Burlington | $97,210 | $46.73 | -4% | 100 |
| 7 | Wilmington | $96,700 | $46.49 | -4% | 440 |
| 8 | Salem metro incl. Winston | $95,930 | $46.12 | -5% | 500 |
| 9 | Pinehurst metro incl. Southern Pines | $95,900 | $46.11 | -5% | 70 |
| 10 | Hickory | $94,050 | $45.21 | -7% | 170 |
| 11 | Greenville | $93,790 | $45.09 | -7% | 110 |
| 12 | Fayetteville | $93,330 | $44.87 | -8% | 220 |
| 13 | Rocky Mount | $88,390 | $42.49 | -13% | 50 |
| 14 | High Point metro incl. Greensboro | $84,250 | $40.51 | -17% | 390 |
| 15 | Goldsboro | $83,350 | $40.07 | -18% | 70 |
| 16 | Jacksonville | $82,380 | $39.61 | -19% | 120 |
Every metro area in North Carolina with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · North Carolina typical pay $97,850
Is Asheville a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienist pay in Asheville sits close to the national figure: $101,170 a year, 3% above the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Asheville area, about 1.7 are Dental Hygienist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.5. Dental Hygienist jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Asheville, NC?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Asheville earns $101,170 a year, or $48.64 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $81,440 and the top 10% earn over $107,230.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Asheville?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Asheville is $48.64. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $39.16, and the top 10% earn over $51.56 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Asheville?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Asheville typically offer around $39.16 an hour, or $81,440 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Asheville higher than in the rest of North Carolina?
- Asheville pay is 3% above the North Carolina figure of $97,850 a year, ranking 2nd of 16 metro areas in the state. Durham pays the most in North Carolina at $101,460.