10 Best States to Work as a Dental Hygienist in 2026

The state you work in shapes your paycheck, your burnout level, and whether you are still in this career a decade from now. Those aren’t trivial things.

GoTu surveyed over 3,800 dental hygienists across the country for the 2026 State of Work report. These rankings comes entirely from hygienist respondents. Each state is scored on six factors: average hourly rate, income satisfaction, burnout rate, career longevity, pay raise frequency, and practice autonomy.

Here are the 10 best states to work in as a dental hygienist in 2026.

Avg. hourly rate: $61/hr-$70/hr  |  Burnout rate: 58%  |  Plan to stay 10+ yrs: 80%  |  Received a raise: 49%

Maryland tops the 2026 rankings and it’s not especially close. Nearly 75% of Maryland hygienist respondents report earning $61 or more per hour, the strongest pay concentration in the dataset. Close to half received a raise in the past year, and more than 80% plan to stay in the field long-term. At 58.4% burnout, Maryland actually comes in below the national hygienist average of 60.6%, which means the pay advantage is not just masking worse conditions. Maryland hygienists are earning more and burning out slightly less than the national norm.

Avg. hourly rate: $61/hr-$70/hr  |  Burnout rate: 65.5%  |  Plan to stay 10+ yrs: 78%  |  Received a raise: 49%

Virginia ranks second on the strength of its pay, but it carries a real asterisk: 65.5% of Virginia hygienist respondents reported experiencing burnout, the highest rate of any state in the top five. The pay range and raise frequency are genuinely strong, 72% of Virginia respondents earn $61 or more per hour. The burnout number is a signal worth taking seriously before signing a long-term contract. Virginia is a high-pay, high-pressure market, it’s worth knowing that going in.

Avg. hourly rate: $61/hr-$70/hr  |  Burnout rate: 74%  |  Plan to stay 10+ yrs: 74%  |  Received a raise: 57%

Colorado has the best pay raise rate of the top three states and the highest concentration of respondents in the $61-$70 range outside of Maryland and Virginia. It also has the highest burnout rate of any state in the top 10 at 74%. Three out of four Colorado hygienist respondents said they experienced burnout in the past year. The autonomy scores are strong and the pay is real, but the sustainability question is one Colorado hygienists are going to keep running into. Best suited for hygienists who want strong short-term earnings and aren’t already running on empty.

Avg. hourly rate: $51/hr-$60/hr  |  Burnout rate: 53%  |  Plan to stay 10+ yrs: 85%  |  Received a raise: 48%

While New York doesn’t lead on pay rates, it leads on career longevity: 85% of New York hygienist respondents plan to stay in dental hygiene for 10 or more years, the highest of any top-10 state. Burnout rates comes in at 53%, one of the lower rates in the entire dataset. That combination of moderate burnout and high career commitment is a sign hygienists in New York aren’t just earning, they’re staying. For long-term career builders, New York’s overall profile is one of the most favorable in the country.

Avg. hourly rate: $51/hr-$60/hr  |  Burnout rate: 57%  |  Plan to stay 10+ yrs: 79%  |  Received a raise: 63%

South Carolina holds one distinction no other state in this dataset can claim: a 63.4% pay raise rate, the highest of any state in this list. Half of South Carolina respondents report earning in the $51-$60 range, with another 37% in the $41-$50 range, which means most are earning decent wages but the top earners are not yet concentrated in the $61+ tier the way Maryland and Virginia are. That trajectory matters, South Carolina hygienists are getting raises at a pace that should close that gap over time.

Avg. hourly rate: $41/hr-$50/hr  |  Burnout rate: 57%  |  Plan to stay 10+ yrs: 82%  |  Received a raise: 45%

Tennessee has the lowest pay range concentration in the top 10, with nearly 70% of respondents earning $41-$50 per hour, but it still ranks sixth. The reason is a burnout rate of 57%, below the national hygienist average, paired with a career longevity score of 82%. Tennessee hygienists are staying in their careers and doing it without the burnout levels that drag down higher-paying states. Cost of living context matters here too: $41-$50 per hour in Nashville or Knoxville goes further than $51-$60 in New York.

Avg. hourly rate: $51/hr-$60/hr  |  Burnout rate: 71%  |  Plan to stay 10+ yrs: 82%  |  Received a raise: 49%

North Carolina ranks seventh with solid pay and strong career longevity, but a 71% burnout rate puts it in the same conversation as Colorado as a high-stress market. Hygienists in North Carolina are earning respectably and staying in their careers at a high rate. The burnout figure suggests the working conditions behind those numbers are demanding. This is worth factoring into any conversation about work-life sustainability when deciding where to live as a dental hygienist.

Avg. hourly rate: $51/hr-$60/hr  |  Burnout rate: 63%  |  Plan to stay 10+ yrs: 78%  |  Received a raise: 47%

Georgia ranks eighth on our list of best states to work in for dental hygienists. 60% of Georgia respondents earn in the $51-$60 range. Burnout sits at 63%, above average but not at the extreme end. Career longevity and raise rates are steady. Georgia is a solid, stable market for hygienists without being exceptional in any single direction.

Avg. hourly rate: $41/hr-$60/hr  |  Burnout rate: 71%  |  Plan to stay 10+ yrs: 82%  |  Received a raise: 55%

Ohio is the most split state in the top 10 on pay: roughly 80% of respondents earn between $41-$60, making it a market where where you land within the state matters a lot. The pay raise rate of 55% is one of the stronger figures in the top 10, and 82% plan to stay in the field long term. The burnout rate of 71% is the second highest in the entire dataset. Ohio hygienists are raising their incomes and staying in their careers while burning out at a high rate. If you are in Ohio and hitting a wall, the data says you are not alone.

Avg. hourly rate: $51/hr-$60/hr  |  Burnout rate: 61%  |  Plan to stay 10+ yrs: 81%  |  Received a raise: 41%

Texas rounds out the top 10. Over half of Texas respondents earn in the $51-$60 range, and career longevity tracks strong at 81%. The weakest number is the raise rate: 41%, the lowest of any top-10 state. Texas is a large, active dental market and that size is clearly not pushing offices to increase pay at the same rate as smaller states. Hygienists in Texas have leverage they aren’t fully capturing, and the data backs that up.

The rankings show where conditions are strongest right now. They don’t show the full picture of what any individual hygienist can negotiate, especially in markets where the statewide data reveals how far behind offices have fallen on raises and pay ranges.

If you want to pick up shifts in higher-paying markets, test a new state before committing, or just see what offices near you are actually offering, find open hygienist shifts near you on GoTu. No long-term commitment, same-day pay, and access to offices across the country.