How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Morganton, NC in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Morganton, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across North Carolina.
BLS OES May 2025 · Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Morganton, North Carolina earns $45.21 per hour, or $94,050 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $7,838 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $79,660, and the top 10% of earners make over $98,130.
That pay is 4% below the North Carolina figure of $97,850 and 4% below the national figure of $98,100. Morganton ranks 10th of 16 metro areas in North Carolina for Dental Hygienist pay. About 170 Dental Hygienists work in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area. Morganton is part of the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Hickory and Lenoir share these figures.
Dental Hygienist pay in Morganton at a glance
- Typical pay is $45.21 an hour, or $94,050 a year.
- That is 4% below the North Carolina figure, ranking 10th of 16 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $79,660; the top 10% make over $98,130.
- Typical pay rose +40% from 2015 to 2025, against +44% for North Carolina as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Morganton?
Pay in Morganton runs from entry-level positions at around $38.30 an hour to more than $47.18 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 Morganton
| Career stage | Morganton | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $79,660$38.30 an hour | $77,270$37.15 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $82,890$39.85 an hour | $84,150$40.46 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $94,050$45.21 an hour | $97,850$47.04 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $97,880$47.06 an hour | $100,930$48.53 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $98,130$47.18 an hour | $103,850$49.93 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Morganton
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Morganton was $67,170 a year. By 2025 it had reached $94,050, a change of +40%, compared with +44% for North Carolina over the same years.
How Morganton compares with other North Carolina cities
Durham pays Dental Hygienists the most in North Carolina at $101,460 a year, $7,410 more than Morganton. The lowest-paying area in the state is Jacksonville at $82,380.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Morganton | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham metro incl. Chapel Hill | $101,460 | $48.78 | +8% | 350 |
| 2 | Asheville | $101,170 | $48.64 | +8% | 300 |
| 3 | Norfolk metro incl. Chesapeake | $98,890 | $47.54 | +5% | 940 |
| 4 | Cary metro incl. Raleigh | $98,800 | $47.50 | +5% | 1,220 |
| 5 | Charlotte | $98,390 | $47.30 | +5% | 1,910 |
| 6 | Burlington | $97,210 | $46.73 | +3% | 100 |
| 7 | Wilmington | $96,700 | $46.49 | +3% | 440 |
| 8 | Salem metro incl. Winston | $95,930 | $46.12 | +2% | 500 |
| 9 | Pinehurst metro incl. Southern Pines | $95,900 | $46.11 | +2% | 70 |
| 10 | Morganton | $94,050 | $45.21 | this city | 170 |
| 11 | Greenville | $93,790 | $45.09 | 0% | 110 |
| 12 | Fayetteville | $93,330 | $44.87 | -1% | 220 |
| 13 | Rocky Mount | $88,390 | $42.49 | -6% | 50 |
| 14 | High Point metro incl. Greensboro | $84,250 | $40.51 | -10% | 390 |
| 15 | Goldsboro | $83,350 | $40.07 | -11% | 70 |
| 16 | Jacksonville | $82,380 | $39.61 | -12% | 120 |
Every metro area in North Carolina with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · North Carolina typical pay $97,850
Is Morganton a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienist pay in Morganton sits close to the national figure: $94,050 a year, 4% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area, about 1.1 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 Morganton, NC?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Morganton earns $94,050 a year, or $45.21 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $79,660 and the top 10% earn over $98,130.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Morganton?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Morganton is $45.21. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $38.30, and the top 10% earn over $47.18 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Morganton?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Morganton typically offer around $38.30 an hour, or $79,660 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Morganton higher than in the rest of North Carolina?
- Morganton pay is 4% below the North Carolina figure of $97,850 a year, ranking 10th of 16 metro areas in the state. Durham pays the most in North Carolina at $101,460.