SOC 29-1292

Dental Hygienist Salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + GA
COL Index: 112.87 (+12.9% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 72.7% Realized
$59,478 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $81,830 $39.34/hr
Effective Tax Drag 21.32% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$17,442 $670.86/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $39.34 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,910/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,080/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$8,092
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$5,073
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,187
Georgia Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$3,090
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$59,478 ($2,287.61 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Athens-Clarke County, GA Dental Hygienist Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $81,830
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $64.9k 25th $77.7k Median: $81,830 50th (Median) $81.8k 75th $92.3k 90th $93.5k You: $81,830
10th (Entry) $64,860 $31.18/hr
25th (Junior) $77,650 $37.33/hr
50th (Median) $81,830 $39.34/hr
75th (Senior) $92,270 $44.36/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $93,500 $44.95/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Dental Hygienist in Athens-Clarke County, GA
1
New-Graduate Dental HygienistAssociate's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$62,478$30.04/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Dental HygienistDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state RDH license
$69,735$33.53/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Experienced Dental HygienistFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state RDH license
$81,830$39.34/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Lead Hygienist / Clinical CoordinatorOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$90,505$43.51/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Hygiene Program DirectorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$105,103$50.53/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Athens-Clarke County, GA medianView National Dental Hygienist Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Dental Assistants-$50,030/yr
National median: $48,070
Skill overlap: 84%
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians-$50,720/yr
National median: $47,380
Skill overlap: 80%
Surgical Assistants-$31,300/yr
National median: $66,800
Skill overlap: 78%
Medical Assistants-$52,410/yr
National median: $45,690
Skill overlap: 72%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Athens-Clarke County, GA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
22% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,103/month Requires minimum annual gross of $44,120
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,285/month Requires minimum annual gross of $51,400
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $24.96/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.75/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Athens-Clarke County, GA.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$81,830-$17,442$59,478$2,287.61
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$97,173-$22,509$68,834$2,647.46
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$112,516-$27,575$78,190$3,007.32
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$127,859-$32,641$87,546$3,367.17
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$143,203-$37,964$96,646$3,717.17
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Dental Hygienist in Athens-Clarke County, GA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Georgia tax codes.

Market Baseline
$81,830/yr
$39.34/hr · SOC 29-1292
Statutory Tax Drag
21.32% Effective
-$17,442 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
22% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,853/mo
Post-$1,103/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 29-1292
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Dental Hygienist in Athens-Clarke County, GA: Market Snapshot

Dental Hygienist roles in Athens-Clarke County, GA report a median annual wage of $81,830, 16.6% below the national median of $98,100. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $64,860 to $93,500, and HUD’s $1,103 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 16.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $24.96 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Dental Hygienist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$146,760+79.3%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$139,990+71.1%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$136,210+66.5%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$135,990+66.2%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$133,740+63.4%
Anchorage, AK$132,740+62.2%
Fairbanks-College, AK$131,860+61.1%
Napa, CA$131,370+60.5%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$131,040+60.1%
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$130,600+59.6%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Athens-Clarke County, GA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$164,460$79.07/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$157,340$75.64/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$137,570$66.14/hr
Financial Manager$137,130$65.93/hr
Purchasing Managers$133,630$64.25/hr
Marketing Managers$131,280$63.12/hr
Industrial Production Managers$131,200$63.08/hr
Human Resources Managers$129,490$62.25/hr
Nurse Practitioner$128,140$61.61/hr
Medical and Health Services Managers$126,420$60.78/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 378 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Dental Hygienist Salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA (2026) Overview

Dental Hygienist median pay in Athens-Clarke County, GA is $81,830 a year ($39.34/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Dental Hygienist in Athens-Clarke County, GA compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Dental Hygienist in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

The median annual wage is $81,830 ($39.34 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $64,860 and $93,500. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Dental Hygienist in Athens-Clarke County, GA after taxes?

On the median wage of $81,830, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $63,063 a year ($5,255 a month) after $18,767 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 22.93%, using 2026 tax rules.