Dental Hygienists salary in Wilmington, NC
Median pay for dental hygienists in Wilmington, NC: $80,200/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $76,650 – $90,270 · about 290 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($81,085) by −$885 (-1%).
What it's really worth in Wilmington
With Wilmington's cost of living at 95 (US=100), that $80,200 has the buying power of about $84,030 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $68,845 · median home $446,210 · median rent $1,708/mo.
How Wilmington ranks for this job
On raw pay, Wilmington, NC is 102nd of the 184 metros we hold dental hygienists wages for. Once Wilmington's cost of living is applied, it ranks 123rd.
The headline number flatters Wilmington. 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 Wilmington
A median home in Wilmington, NC costs $446,210 — about 5.6× 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 $1,708/mo works out at 26% 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 Wilmington.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Wilmington | Rent vs Wilmington |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $137,450 | +71% | 1.9× |
| San Jose, CA | $135,460 | +69% | 2.1× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $132,360 | +65% | 2× |
| Seattle, WA | $129,410 | +61% | 1.3× |
Same job elsewhere in NC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Wilmington | Rent vs Wilmington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | $89,200 | +11% | 1× |
| Greensboro, NC | $81,110 | +1% | 0.8× |
| Raleigh, NC | $80,530 | +0% | 1× |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $80,410 | +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 Wilmington
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center · Healthcare
- Thermo Fisher Scientific/PPD · Healthcare
Other jobs in Wilmington
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.