How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Alaska?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $129,760 for Dental Hygienists in Alaska as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $112,470 and the 75th-percentile is $132,320.

What is the real (cost-adjusted) Dental Hygienist salary in Alaska?

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 103.3 for Alaska), the real-wage equivalent is $125,618 — what the $129,760 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $108,880 to $128,097.

What does the top of the Dental Hygienist pay scale look like in Alaska?

The 90th percentile lands at $135,400. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $132,320.

How many Dental Hygienists does Alaska employ?

BLS OES counts 770 Dental Hygienists employed in Alaska in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Where does Alaska rank for Dental Hygienist pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Alaska ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

How wide is the wage spread in Alaska?

P10 to P90 spans $58,340 to $135,400. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

Is Alaska a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Dental Hygienists?

No — Alaska's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.

How Much Do Dental Hygienists Make in Alaska? $130K (2026 BLS + BEA)

TL;DR

BLS reports Alaska Dental Hygienist median pay at $129,760. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $125,618.
Quartile range $112,470 (bottom 25%) to $132,320 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $58,340 to $135,400.
Cost of living tracks roughly with the national index, so nominal and real wages stay close.
Nominal: #1/51 · Real: #1/51 — ranking shifts by 0 positions after RPP.

Wage breakdown — Alaska

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$58,340	$56,478
P25 (lower quartile)	$112,470	$108,880
P50 (median)	$129,760	$125,618
P75 (upper quartile)	$132,320	$128,097
P90 (top tier)	$135,400	$131,078
Mean	$118,010	$114,243
Employment	770 Dental Hygienists in Alaska

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Alaska index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	103.3
Goods	103.7
Services	113.3
Rents	96.7

Alaska's overall RPP (103.3) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

After-tax take-home — Alaska (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Dental Hygienist)	$129,760	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$19,960	15.4% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	$0	no state income tax
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$9,927	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$99,873	77.0% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$96,685	÷ (103.3 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Alaska state-tax burden means for Dental Hygienist take-home

Alaska levies no state income tax on wages, which is worth roughly $6,488 a year for a Dental Hygienist at the BLS median compared with the national-average state burden (≈5%). After cost of living, real take-home is $96,685 — lower than the nominal after-tax figure because RPP exceeds 100.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $94,260 for Dental Hygienists with mean pay of $93,890 and total employment of 219,070. Alaska sits at #1 on nominal pay and #1 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. Nominal and real ranking are the same — cost of living and pay scale together.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Dental Hygienist make in Alaska?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $129,760 for Dental Hygienists in Alaska as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $112,470 and the 75th-percentile is $132,320.
What is the real (cost-adjusted) Dental Hygienist salary in Alaska?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 103.3 for Alaska), the real-wage equivalent is $125,618 — what the $129,760 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $108,880 to $128,097.
What does the top of the Dental Hygienist pay scale look like in Alaska?: The 90th percentile lands at $135,400. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $132,320.
How many Dental Hygienists does Alaska employ?: BLS OES counts 770 Dental Hygienists employed in Alaska in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Where does Alaska rank for Dental Hygienist pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Alaska ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
How wide is the wage spread in Alaska?: P10 to P90 spans $58,340 to $135,400. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Is Alaska a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Dental Hygienists?: No — Alaska's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 29-1292, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how Alaska Dental Hygienist pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.