Quick answer: The Atlanta metro employs about 4,710 dental hygienists (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state dental board.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Dental hygienists are licensed by state dental boards. The national framework is graduation from a CODA-accredited program, the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, and a clinical examination. Scope of practice - including whether a hygienist may work without a dentist physically present - is set state by state and is one of the biggest practical differences between them.
See the Georgia licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state dental board.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
This page lists 10 schools within 92 miles, nearest first in 25-mile distance bands, then by BOC Score inside each band with the highest at the top. 10 of them carry a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Dental Hygienists in the Atlanta area earn a median $100,370 per year, above the national median of $98,100 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Atlanta metro | Georgia | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $100,370 | $95,490 | $98,100 |
| 10th percentile | $81,140 | $74,610 | $74,880 |
| 25th percentile | $95,110 | $81,140 | $83,570 |
| 75th percentile | $102,560 | $101,620 | $108,480 |
| 90th percentile | $114,360 | $103,650 | $126,050 |
| Employment | 4,710 | 7,440 | 222,740 |
| Location quotient | 1.14 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan statistical area.
The Atlanta median of $100,370 is above the national median of $98,100, and above the Georgia statewide median of $95,490 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.14 means dental hygienists are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Hygiene is hired practice by practice, so the local density of dental offices is what determines how many chairs are open in a given market.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Augusta | $79,840 | 370 |
| Columbus | $80,240 | 240 |
| Gainesville | $92,840 | 160 |
| Athens | $81,830 | 130 |
| Warner Robins | $78,770 | 130 |
| Macon | $79,260 | 120 |
| Dalton | $82,010 | 100 |
| Valdosta | $79,360 | 100 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
The median annual wage for dental hygienists in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area is $100,370, above the national median of $98,100 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area employs about 4,710 dental hygienists (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Dental hygienists are licensed by state dental boards. The national framework is graduation from a CODA-accredited program, the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, and a clinical examination. Scope of practice - including whether a hygienist may work without a dentist physically present - is set state by state and is one of the biggest practical differences between them. Confirm current requirements with your state dental board.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state dental board.
The Atlanta metro median is $100,370 against a statewide median of $95,490 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
