How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Harlingen, TX in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Harlingen, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Texas.
BLS OES May 2025 · Brownsville · Harlingen metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Harlingen, Texas earns $39.84 per hour, or $82,860 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $6,905 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $73,130, and the top 10% of earners make over $94,980.
That pay is 17% below the Texas figure of $99,240 and 16% below the national figure of $98,100. Harlingen ranks 20th of 23 metro areas in Texas for Dental Hygienist pay. About 120 Dental Hygienists work in the Brownsville · Harlingen area. Harlingen is part of the Brownsville · Harlingen metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Brownsville share these figures.
Dental Hygienist pay in Harlingen at a glance
- Typical pay is $39.84 an hour, or $82,860 a year.
- That is 17% below the Texas figure, ranking 20th of 23 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $73,130; the top 10% make over $94,980.
- Typical pay rose +43% from 2015 to 2025, against +37% for Texas as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Harlingen?
Pay in Harlingen runs from entry-level positions at around $35.16 an hour to more than $45.66 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Texas and national figures.
Dental Hygienist pay by career stage in Harlingen
| Career stage | Harlingen | Texas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $73,130$35.16 an hour | $71,530$34.39 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $76,290$36.68 an hour | $85,280$41.00 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $82,860$39.84 an hour | $99,240$47.71 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $93,660$45.03 an hour | $107,320$51.60 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $94,980$45.66 an hour | $117,890$56.68 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Brownsville · Harlingen area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Harlingen
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the Brownsville · Harlingen area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Harlingen was $57,750 a year. By 2025 it had reached $82,860, a change of +43%, compared with +37% for Texas over the same years.
How Harlingen compares with other Texas cities
Austin pays Dental Hygienists the most in Texas at $105,480 a year, $22,620 more than Harlingen. The lowest-paying area in the state is Longview at $81,920.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Harlingen | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin metro incl. Round Rock · San Marcos | $105,480 | $50.71 | +27% | 1,270 |
| 2 | The Woodlands | $104,930 | $50.45 | +27% | 3,060 |
| 3 | Arlington metro incl. Dallas · Fort Worth | $101,870 | $48.98 | +23% | 7,050 |
| 4 | San Antonio metro incl. New Braunfels | $98,480 | $47.34 | +19% | 920 |
| 5 | Sherman metro incl. Denison | $98,030 | $47.13 | +18% | 130 |
| 6 | Beaumont metro incl. Port Arthur | $97,350 | $46.80 | +17% | 150 |
| 7 | Temple metro incl. Killeen | $97,140 | $46.70 | +17% | 190 |
| 8 | College Station metro incl. Bryan | $96,260 | $46.28 | +16% | 120 |
| 9 | Waco | $95,340 | $45.84 | +15% | 150 |
| 10 | Tyler | $94,710 | $45.54 | +14% | 210 |
| 11 | Abilene | $93,600 | $45.00 | +13% | 70 |
| 12 | Wichita Falls | $91,340 | $43.91 | +10% | 40 |
| 13 | Lubbock | $86,340 | $41.51 | +4% | 170 |
| 14 | Victoria | $85,680 | $41.19 | +3% | 40 |
| 15 | Amarillo | $84,990 | $40.86 | +3% | 180 |
| 16 | El Paso | $84,660 | $40.70 | +2% | 320 |
| 17 | Corpus Christi | $84,210 | $40.49 | +2% | 150 |
| 18 | San Angelo | $83,470 | $40.13 | +1% | 50 |
| 19 | McAllen | $82,940 | $39.87 | 0% | 210 |
| 20 | Harlingen metro incl. Brownsville | $82,860 | $39.84 | this city | 120 |
| 21 | Texarkana | $82,800 | $39.81 | 0% | 70 |
| 22 | Laredo | $82,440 | $39.63 | -1% | 90 |
| 23 | Longview | $81,920 | $39.39 | -1% | 110 |
Every metro area in Texas with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Texas typical pay $99,240
Is Harlingen a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists in Harlingen earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $82,860 a year, 16% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Brownsville · Harlingen area, about 0.8 are Dental Hygienist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.5. 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 Harlingen, TX?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Harlingen earns $82,860 a year, or $39.84 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $73,130 and the top 10% earn over $94,980.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Harlingen?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Harlingen is $39.84. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $35.16, and the top 10% earn over $45.66 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Harlingen?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Harlingen typically offer around $35.16 an hour, or $73,130 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Harlingen higher than in the rest of Texas?
- Harlingen pay is 17% below the Texas figure of $99,240 a year, ranking 20th of 23 metro areas in the state. Austin pays the most in Texas at $105,480.