How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Nashville, TN in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Nashville, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Tennessee.
BLS OES May 2025 · Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Nashville, Tennessee earns $45.21 per hour, or $94,030 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $7,836 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $80,170, and the top 10% of earners make over $98,530.
That pay is 11% above the Tennessee figure of $84,640 and 4% below the national figure of $98,100. Nashville ranks 1st of 10 metro areas in Tennessee for Dental Hygienist pay. About 1,490 Dental Hygienists work in the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area. Nashville is part of the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Franklin, Murfreesboro, Davidson share these figures.
Dental Hygienist pay in Nashville at a glance
- Typical pay is $45.21 an hour, or $94,030 a year.
- That is 11% above the Tennessee figure, ranking 1st of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $80,170; the top 10% make over $98,530.
- Typical pay rose +34% from 2015 to 2025, against +26% for Tennessee as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Nashville?
Pay in Nashville runs from entry-level positions at around $38.55 an hour to more than $47.37 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 Nashville
| Career stage | Nashville | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $80,170$38.55 an hour | $76,190$36.63 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $80,380$38.64 an hour | $80,380$38.64 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $94,030$45.21 an hour | $84,640$40.69 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $97,510$46.88 an hour | $94,240$45.31 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $98,530$47.37 an hour | $98,300$47.26 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Nashville
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Nashville was $70,090 a year. By 2025 it had reached $94,030, a change of +34%, compared with +26% for Tennessee over the same years.
How Nashville compares with other Tennessee cities
Nashville pays Dental Hygienists the most of any metro area in Tennessee. The lowest-paying area in the state is Memphis at $78,580.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Nashville | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville | $94,030 | $45.21 | this city | 1,490 |
| 2 | Knoxville | $84,640 | $40.69 | -10% | 590 |
| 3 | Chattanooga | $83,460 | $40.12 | -11% | 460 |
| 4 | Bristol metro incl. Kingsport | $82,870 | $39.84 | -12% | 210 |
| 5 | Jackson | $82,750 | $39.78 | -12% | 110 |
| 6 | Clarksville | $81,260 | $39.07 | -14% | 200 |
| 7 | Morristown | $81,040 | $38.96 | -14% | 70 |
| 8 | Johnson City | $80,070 | $38.49 | -15% | 140 |
| 9 | Cleveland | $79,880 | $38.40 | -15% | 90 |
| 10 | Memphis | $78,580 | $37.78 | -16% | 650 |
Every metro area in Tennessee with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Tennessee typical pay $84,640
Is Nashville a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienist pay in Nashville sits close to the national figure: $94,030 a year, 4% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin 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 Nashville, TN?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Nashville earns $94,030 a year, or $45.21 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $80,170 and the top 10% earn over $98,530.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Nashville?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Nashville is $45.21. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $38.55, and the top 10% earn over $47.37 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Nashville?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Nashville typically offer around $38.55 an hour, or $80,170 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Nashville higher than in the rest of Tennessee?
- Nashville pay is 11% above the Tennessee figure of $84,640 a year, ranking 1st of 10 metro areas in the state.