Dental Hygienists salary in Maine

Maine's dental hygienists earned a median of $88,700 in 2024, about 6% below the national median of $94,162. That gap is relatively narrow for a state this far from major metro labor markets, and it shrinks further once you factor in cost of living. Maine's price index sits at 99.1, essentially at the national average, so the nominal gap is close to the real gap. There is no meaningful cost-of-living cushion, but there is no penalty either.

The pay range here is notably tight. The 10th percentile was $79,120 and the 90th was $100,580, a spread of about $21,500. In most occupations we see that range run two to three times wider. For dental hygienists in Maine it reflects a profession where licensing requirements, standard clinic hours, and a relatively uniform scope of practice keep wages clustered. A hygienist starting out earns somewhat less than a veteran, but not dramatically so.

The mean wage of $88,390 sits just below the median. That is unusual: in most occupations a small group of high earners pulls the average above the midpoint. Here the two figures are nearly identical, which reinforces how compressed the distribution is. No outlier earners are pulling the average in either direction.

BLS projects employment for dental hygienists to grow 7% between 2024 and 2034, a rate BLS classifies as faster than average. Maine's total employment in this role was about 1,000 in 2024, a small base, so even modest growth in dental access or an aging patient population could move the numbers noticeably. The projection reflects national trends and may not capture Maine-specific factors like rural clinic expansion or insurance coverage shifts.