Dental Hygienists salary in Fort Smith, AR
Median pay for dental hygienists in Fort Smith, AR: $78,420/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $49,790 – $99,180 · about 160 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($81,085) by −$2,665 (-3%).
What it's really worth in Fort Smith
With Fort Smith's cost of living at 85 (US=100), that $78,420 has the buying power of about $91,922 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $53,224 · median home $205,554 · median rent $1,021/mo.
How Fort Smith ranks for this job
On raw pay, Fort Smith, AR is 129th of the 184 metros we hold dental hygienists wages for. Once Fort Smith's cost of living is applied, it ranks 55th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Fort Smith is one of the places where dental hygienists gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Fort Smith
A median home in Fort Smith, AR costs $205,554 — about 2.6× 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 $1,021/mo works out at 16% 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 Fort Smith.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Fort Smith | Rent vs Fort Smith |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $137,450 | +75% | 3.2× |
| San Jose, CA | $135,460 | +73% | 3.6× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $132,360 | +69% | 3.3× |
| Seattle, WA | $129,410 | +65% | 2.2× |
Same job elsewhere in AR
| Metro | Median pay | vs Fort Smith | Rent vs Fort Smith |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, AR | $80,180 | +2% | 1.6× |
| Little Rock, AR | $78,260 | +0% | 1.2× |
Staying in AR keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires dental hygienists around Fort Smith
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Mercy Hospital Fort Smith · Healthcare
- Sparks Health System · Healthcare
Other jobs in Fort Smith
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.