SOC 29-1292 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Dental Hygienists — Memphis
Memphis, TN-MS-AR · 9 metro areas compared
In Memphis, TN the median wage is $78,580.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +7.0%
- Openings per year
- 15,300
- Typical entry-level education
- Associate's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Memphis, TN-MS-AR.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Memphis, TN the median wage is $78,580. That is 19.9% lower than the national median of $98,100. Pay ranges from under $72,150 at the tenth percentile to more than $119,720 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $75,870 to $92,310.
The area has 650 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.75 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Nashville records the highest median at $94,030. Of the 564 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 129th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $72,150 | −26.5% |
| 25th | $75,870 | −22.7% |
| Median (50th) | $78,580 | −19.9% |
| 75th | $92,310 | −5.9% |
| 90th | $119,720 | +22.0% |
| Mean | $86,210 | −12.1% |
Other metro areas in Tennessee
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville | $94,030 | 1,490 | |
| 2 | Knoxville | $84,640 | 590 | |
| 3 | Chattanooga | $83,460 | 460 | |
| 4 | Kingsport | $82,870 | 210 | |
| 5 | Jackson | $82,750 | 110 | |
| 6 | Clarksville | $81,260 | 200 | |
| 7 | Morristown | $81,040 | 70 | |
| 8 | Johnson City | $80,070 | 140 | |
| 9 | Cleveland | $79,880 | 90 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Memphis run 7.8% below the national average, so the median of $78,580 goes as far as $85,228 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 13.1% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$78,580as reported by BLSLocal price level
92.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$85,228US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $78,580 a year, 19.9% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $72,150 to $119,720 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 650 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Nashville, at $94,030.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Dental Hygienists in Memphis, TN?
The median annual wage is $78,580, or $37.78 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $98,100, so pay in Memphis, TN is 19.9% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Memphis, TN earns more than $119,720 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $72,150 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Nashville, at $94,030 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 650 jobs in this occupation in Memphis, TN. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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