How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make in Tacoma, WA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Hygienists in Tacoma, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Washington.
BLS OES May 2025 · Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue metro area
A typical Dental Hygienist in Tacoma, Washington earns $64.30 per hour, or $133,740 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $11,145 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $127,620, and the top 10% of earners make over $162,850.
That pay is 2% above the Washington figure of $131,160 and 36% above the national figure of $98,100. Tacoma ranks 1st of 12 metro areas in Washington for Dental Hygienist pay. About 3,500 Dental Hygienists work in the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area. Tacoma is part of the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Seattle and Bellevue share these figures.
Dental Hygienist pay in Tacoma at a glance
- Typical pay is $64.30 an hour, or $133,740 a year.
- That is 2% above the Washington figure, ranking 1st of 12 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $127,620; the top 10% make over $162,850.
- Typical pay rose +44% from 2015 to 2025, against +44% for Washington as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Tacoma?
Pay in Tacoma runs from entry-level positions at around $61.36 an hour to more than $78.30 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Washington and national figures.
Dental Hygienist pay by career stage in Tacoma
| Career stage | Tacoma | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $127,620$61.36 an hour | $107,090$51.49 an hour | $74,880$36.00 an hour |
| First years | $132,850$63.87 an hour | $122,000$58.65 an hour | $83,570$40.18 an hour |
| Typical Dental Hygienist | $133,740$64.30 an hour | $131,160$63.06 an hour | $98,100$47.16 an hour |
| Experienced | $160,190$77.02 an hour | $134,670$64.75 an hour | $108,480$52.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $162,850$78.30 an hour | $162,050$77.91 an hour | $126,050$60.60 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area as BLS defines it
Dental Hygienist pay growth in Tacoma
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Hygienists in the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Hygienist pay in Tacoma was $93,050 a year. By 2025 it had reached $133,740, a change of +44%, compared with +44% for Washington over the same years.
How Tacoma compares with other Washington cities
Tacoma pays Dental Hygienists the most of any metro area in Washington. The lowest-paying area in the state is Walla Walla at $106,680.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Tacoma | Dental Hygienists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tacoma | $133,740 | $64.30 | this city | 3,500 |
| 2 | Bremerton metro incl. Silverdale · Port Orchard | $131,040 | $63.00 | -2% | 190 |
| 3 | Anacortes metro incl. Mount Vernon | $127,470 | $61.28 | -5% | 130 |
| 4 | Bellingham | $124,850 | $60.02 | -7% | 150 |
| 5 | Vancouver metro incl. Hillsboro | $123,100 | $59.18 | -8% | 2,380 |
| 6 | Kelso metro incl. Longview | $123,020 | $59.14 | -8% | 100 |
| 7 | Lacey | $122,950 | $59.11 | -8% | 220 |
| 8 | Richland metro incl. Kennewick | $122,480 | $58.88 | -8% | 270 |
| 9 | Yakima | $120,690 | $58.03 | -10% | 160 |
| 10 | East Wenatchee metro incl. Wenatchee | $118,820 | $57.13 | -11% | 110 |
| 11 | Spokane metro incl. Spokane Valley | $116,690 | $56.10 | -13% | 500 |
| 12 | Walla Walla | $106,680 | $51.29 | -20% | 50 |
Every metro area in Washington with Dental Hygienist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Washington typical pay $131,160
Is Tacoma a good place to work as a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists in Tacoma earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $133,740 a year, 36% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area, about 1.7 are Dental Hygienist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.4. That makes the local economy more reliant on Dental Hygienists than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Tacoma, WA?
- A typical Dental Hygienist in Tacoma earns $133,740 a year, or $64.30 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $127,620 and the top 10% earn over $162,850.
- How much does a Dental Hygienist make an hour in Tacoma?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Hygienists in Tacoma is $64.30. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $61.36, and the top 10% earn over $78.30 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Hygienist in Tacoma?
- Entry-level Dental Hygienist positions in Tacoma typically offer around $61.36 an hour, or $127,620 a year.
- Is Dental Hygienist pay in Tacoma higher than in the rest of Washington?
- Tacoma pay is 2% above the Washington figure of $131,160 a year, ranking 1st of 12 metro areas in the state.