How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Richmond, VA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Richmond, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Virginia.
BLS OES May 2025 · Richmond metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Richmond, Virginia earns $50.12 per hour, or $104,250 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $8,688 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $94,870, and the top 10% of earners make over $119,350.
That pay is 1% above the Virginia figure of $102,950 and 6% above the national figure of $98,100. Richmond ranks 3rd of 11 metro areas in Virginia for Dental Hygienist pay. About 780 Dental Hygienists work in the Richmond area.
Dental Hygienist pay in Richmond at a glance
- Typical pay is $50.12 an hour, or $104,250 a year.
- That is 1% above the Virginia figure, ranking 3rd of 11 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $94,870; the top 10% make over $119,350.
- Typical pay rose +19% from 2015 to 2025, against +27% for Virginia as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Richmond?
Pay in Richmond runs from entry-level positions at around $45.61 an hour to more than $57.38 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Virginia and national figures.
Dental Hygienist pay by career stage in Richmond
| Career stage | Richmond | Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $94,870$45.61 an hour | $86,730$41.70 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $102,950$49.50 an hour | $97,630$46.94 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $104,250$50.12 an hour | $102,950$49.50 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $104,690$50.33 an hour | $119,690$57.54 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $119,350$57.38 an hour | $125,560$60.37 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Richmond area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Richmond
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the Richmond area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Richmond was $87,310 a year. By 2025 it had reached $104,250, a change of +19%, compared with +27% for Virginia over the same years.
How Richmond compares with other Virginia cities
Arlington pays Dental Hygienists the most in Virginia at $119,170 a year, $14,920 more than Richmond. The lowest-paying area in the state is Bristol at $82,870.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Richmond | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arlington | $119,170 | $57.30 | +14% | 2,200 |
| 2 | Charlottesville | $107,690 | $51.78 | +3% | 120 |
| 3 | Richmond | $104,250 | $50.12 | this city | 780 |
| 4 | Winchester | $100,640 | $48.38 | -3% | 100 |
| 5 | Harrisonburg | $100,620 | $48.37 | -3% | 100 |
| 6 | Staunton metro incl. Stuarts Draft | $100,350 | $48.24 | -4% | 60 |
| 7 | Virginia Beach | $98,890 | $47.54 | -5% | 940 |
| 8 | Roanoke | $98,550 | $47.38 | -5% | 170 |
| 9 | Lynchburg | $96,990 | $46.63 | -7% | 120 |
| 10 | Blacksburg metro incl. Christiansburg · Radford | $90,550 | $43.53 | -13% | 70 |
| 11 | Bristol | $82,870 | $39.84 | -21% | 210 |
Every metro area in Virginia with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Virginia typical pay $102,950
Is Richmond a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists in Richmond earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $104,250 a year, 6% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Richmond area, about 1.2 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 Richmond, VA?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Richmond earns $104,250 a year, or $50.12 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $94,870 and the top 10% earn over $119,350.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Richmond?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Richmond is $50.12. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $45.61, and the top 10% earn over $57.38 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Richmond?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Richmond typically offer around $45.61 an hour, or $94,870 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Richmond higher than in the rest of Virginia?
- Richmond pay is 1% above the Virginia figure of $102,950 a year, ranking 3rd of 11 metro areas in the state. Arlington pays the most in Virginia at $119,170.