Quick answer:Dental Hygienists in Kentucky earn a median $78,830 per year, below the national median of $98,100 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The state employs about 2,070 of them. Licensing runs through your state dental board.
Dental Hygiene Pay and Employment in Kentucky at a Glance
Metric
Kentucky
National
Source
Median annual wage
$78,830
$98,100
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$61,280
$74,880
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$67,880
$83,570
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$91,800
$108,480
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$98,770
$126,050
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
2,070
222,740
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
0.72
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
7.0%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How Kentucky Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The Kentucky median of $78,830 sits below the national median of $98,100 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 0.72 puts Kentucky below the national average, so the occupation is less concentrated here than in the typical state. Expect a thinner local job market and fewer employers to move between (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. 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.
Dental Hygienists Wages by Metro Area in Kentucky
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), dental hygienists wages in Kentucky vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Cincinnati
1,700
$102,940
$103,280
$81,800
$131,490
Louisville/Jefferson County
780
$81,390
$83,640
$63,870
$99,250
Lexington-Fayette
410
$80,110
$80,810
$57,450
$96,790
Clarksville
200
$81,260
$80,070
$61,010
$93,980
Huntington-Ashland
180
$73,470
$71,130
$61,100
$82,190
Bowling Green
120
$75,690
$77,090
$60,650
$94,940
Paducah
90
$79,610
$81,020
$60,630
$97,400
Owensboro
80
$75,490
$74,050
$60,670
$92,440
Elizabethtown
70
$64,620
$66,650
$56,680
$81,700
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
Dental hygienists are licensed by state dental boards. The national framework is graduation from a program accredited by CODA, 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.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your state dental board that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
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.
How We Rank Schools
We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that
local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal
IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%
Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
The median annual wage for dental hygienists in Kentucky is $78,830, below the national median of $98,100 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $67,880 at the 25th percentile to $91,800 at the 75th.
How many dental hygienists work in Kentucky?
Kentucky holds about 2,070 dental hygienist jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 222,740, and BLS projects about 15,300 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a dental hygienist in Kentucky?
Dental hygienists are licensed by state dental boards. The national framework is graduation from a program accredited by CODA, 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. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your state dental board before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a CODA-accredited associate degree online while working in Kentucky?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your state dental board.
What is the highest-paying area of Kentucky for dental hygienists?
Among Kentucky metro areas with published data, Louisville reports the highest median at $81,390 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is Kentucky a good state for dental hygienists?
On pay, the state median of $78,830 sits below the national $98,100 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.72 means the occupation is less concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Dental Hygienists (SOC 29-1292), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
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.
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/.
