Dental Hygienists salary in Raleigh, NC

Median pay for dental hygienists in Raleigh, NC: $80,530/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $64,780 – $97,850 · about 1,140 employed locally

Below the typical metro median ($81,085) by −$555 (-1%).

What it's really worth in Raleigh

With Raleigh's cost of living at 98 (US=100), that $80,530 has the buying power of about $81,877 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $91,818 · median home $438,364 · median rent $1,694/mo.

Full Raleigh cost of living & taxes →

How Raleigh ranks for this job

On raw pay, Raleigh, NC is 98th of the 184 metros we hold dental hygienists wages for. Once Raleigh's cost of living is applied, it ranks 138th.

The headline number flatters Raleigh. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, dental hygienists here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.

What that salary buys in Raleigh

A median home in Raleigh, NC costs $438,364 — about 5.4× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,694/mo works out at 25% 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 Raleigh.

Metro	Median pay	vs Raleigh	Rent vs Raleigh
San Francisco, CA	$137,450	+71%	1.9×
San Jose, CA	$135,460	+68%	2.1×
Santa Maria, CA	$132,360	+64%	2×
Seattle, WA	$129,410	+61%	1.3×

Same job elsewhere in NC

Metro	Median pay	vs Raleigh	Rent vs Raleigh
Charlotte, NC	$89,200	+11%	1×
Greensboro, NC	$81,110	+1%	0.8×
Winston-Salem, NC	$80,410	+0%	0.9×
Hickory, NC	$80,270	+0%	0.9×

Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires dental hygienists around Raleigh

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Duke University Health System · Healthcare

Other jobs in Raleigh