How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Chapel Hill, NC in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Chapel Hill, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across North Carolina.
BLS OES May 2025 · Durham · Chapel Hill metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina earns $48.78 per hour, or $101,460 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $8,455 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $82,490, and the top 10% of earners make over $103,850.
That pay is 4% above the North Carolina figure of $97,850 and 3% above the national figure of $98,100. Chapel Hill ranks 1st of 16 metro areas in North Carolina for Dental Hygienist pay. About 350 Dental Hygienists work in the Durham · Chapel Hill area. Chapel Hill is part of the Durham · Chapel Hill metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Durham share these figures.
Dental Hygienist pay in Chapel Hill at a glance
- Typical pay is $48.78 an hour, or $101,460 a year.
- That is 4% above the North Carolina figure, ranking 1st of 16 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $82,490; the top 10% make over $103,850.
- Typical pay rose +38% from 2015 to 2025, against +44% for North Carolina as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Chapel Hill?
Pay in Chapel Hill runs from entry-level positions at around $39.66 an hour to more than $49.93 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 Chapel Hill
| Career stage | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $82,490$39.66 an hour | $77,270$37.15 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $83,180$39.99 an hour | $84,150$40.46 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $101,460$48.78 an hour | $97,850$47.04 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $102,530$49.29 an hour | $100,930$48.53 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $103,850$49.93 an hour | $103,850$49.93 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Durham · Chapel Hill area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Chapel Hill
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the Durham · Chapel Hill area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Chapel Hill was $73,580 a year. By 2025 it had reached $101,460, a change of +38%, compared with +44% for North Carolina over the same years.
How Chapel Hill compares with other North Carolina cities
Chapel Hill pays Dental Hygienists the most of any metro area in North Carolina. The lowest-paying area in the state is Jacksonville at $82,380.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Chapel Hill | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chapel Hill metro incl. Durham | $101,460 | $48.78 | this city | 350 |
| 2 | Asheville | $101,170 | $48.64 | 0% | 300 |
| 3 | Norfolk metro incl. Chesapeake | $98,890 | $47.54 | -3% | 940 |
| 4 | Cary metro incl. Raleigh | $98,800 | $47.50 | -3% | 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 | -5% | 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 | -8% | 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 Chapel Hill a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienist pay in Chapel Hill sits close to the national figure: $101,460 a year, 3% above the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Durham · Chapel Hill area, about 1.0 are Dental Hygienist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.4. That makes Dental Hygienists a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Chapel Hill, NC?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Chapel Hill earns $101,460 a year, or $48.78 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $82,490 and the top 10% earn over $103,850.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Chapel Hill?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Chapel Hill is $48.78. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $39.66, and the top 10% earn over $49.93 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Chapel Hill?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Chapel Hill typically offer around $39.66 an hour, or $82,490 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Chapel Hill higher than in the rest of North Carolina?
- Chapel Hill pay is 4% above the North Carolina figure of $97,850 a year, ranking 1st of 16 metro areas in the state.