How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Knoxville, TN in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Knoxville, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Tennessee.
BLS OES May 2025 · Knoxville metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Knoxville, Tennessee earns $40.69 per hour, or $84,640 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $7,053 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $81,380, and the top 10% of earners make over $97,700.
That pay is right at the Tennessee figure of $84,640 and 14% below the national figure of $98,100. Knoxville ranks 2nd of 10 metro areas in Tennessee for Dental Hygienist pay. About 590 Dental Hygienists work in the Knoxville area.
Dental Hygienist pay in Knoxville at a glance
- Typical pay is $40.69 an hour, or $84,640 a year.
- That is right at the Tennessee figure, ranking 2nd of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $81,380; the top 10% make over $97,700.
- Typical pay rose +18% from 2015 to 2025, against +26% for Tennessee as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Knoxville?
Pay in Knoxville runs from entry-level positions at around $39.13 an hour to more than $46.97 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Tennessee and national figures.
Dental Hygienist pay by career stage in Knoxville
| Career stage | Knoxville | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $81,380$39.13 an hour | $76,190$36.63 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $84,340$40.55 an hour | $80,380$38.64 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $84,640$40.69 an hour | $84,640$40.69 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $93,590$45.00 an hour | $94,240$45.31 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $97,700$46.97 an hour | $98,300$47.26 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Knoxville area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Knoxville
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the Knoxville area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Knoxville was $71,930 a year. By 2025 it had reached $84,640, a change of +18%, compared with +26% for Tennessee over the same years.
How Knoxville compares with other Tennessee cities
Nashville pays Dental Hygienists the most in Tennessee at $94,030 a year, $9,390 more than Knoxville. The lowest-paying area in the state is Memphis at $78,580.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Knoxville | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville | $94,030 | $45.21 | +11% | 1,490 |
| 2 | Knoxville | $84,640 | $40.69 | this city | 590 |
| 3 | Chattanooga | $83,460 | $40.12 | -1% | 460 |
| 4 | Bristol metro incl. Kingsport | $82,870 | $39.84 | -2% | 210 |
| 5 | Jackson | $82,750 | $39.78 | -2% | 110 |
| 6 | Clarksville | $81,260 | $39.07 | -4% | 200 |
| 7 | Morristown | $81,040 | $38.96 | -4% | 70 |
| 8 | Johnson City | $80,070 | $38.49 | -5% | 140 |
| 9 | Cleveland | $79,880 | $38.40 | -6% | 90 |
| 10 | Memphis | $78,580 | $37.78 | -7% | 650 |
Every metro area in Tennessee with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Tennessee typical pay $84,640
Is Knoxville a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists in Knoxville earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $84,640 a year, 14% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Knoxville area, about 1.4 are Dental Hygienist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.4. 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 Knoxville, TN?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Knoxville earns $84,640 a year, or $40.69 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $81,380 and the top 10% earn over $97,700.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Knoxville?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Knoxville is $40.69. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $39.13, and the top 10% earn over $46.97 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Knoxville?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Knoxville typically offer around $39.13 an hour, or $81,380 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Knoxville higher than in the rest of Tennessee?
- Knoxville pay is right at the Tennessee figure of $84,640 a year, ranking 2nd of 10 metro areas in the state. Nashville pays the most in Tennessee at $94,030.