Dental Hygienists salary in Albuquerque, NM
Median pay for dental hygienists in Albuquerque, NM: $95,770/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $83,010 – $99,220 · about 570 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($81,085) by +$14,685 (+18%).
What it's really worth in Albuquerque
With Albuquerque's cost of living at 94 (US=100), that $95,770 has the buying power of about $102,289 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $63,971 · median home $352,894 · median rent $1,502/mo.
How Albuquerque ranks for this job
On raw pay, Albuquerque, NM is 43rd of the 184 metros we hold dental hygienists wages for. Once Albuquerque's cost of living is applied, it ranks 28th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Albuquerque sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Albuquerque
A median home in Albuquerque, NM costs $352,894 — about 3.7× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,502/mo works out at 19% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where dental hygienists earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Albuquerque.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Albuquerque | Rent vs Albuquerque |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $137,450 | +44% | 2.2× |
| San Jose, CA | $135,460 | +41% | 2.4× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $132,360 | +38% | 2.2× |
| Seattle, WA | $129,410 | +35% | 1.5× |
Who hires dental hygienists around Albuquerque
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Presbyterian Healthcare Services · Healthcare
Other jobs in Albuquerque
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 184 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.