SOC 29-1292

Dental Hygienist Salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (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 + TX
COL Index: 107.37 (+7.4% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 74.1% Realized
$77,738 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $104,930 $50.45/hr
Effective Tax Drag 19.91% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$20,897 $803.72/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 $50.45 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$6,296/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,385/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$12,870
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$6,506
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,521
Texas Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$77,738 ($2,989.91 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Dental Hygienist Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $104,930
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $85.5k 25th $99.2k Median: $104,930 50th (Median) $105k 75th $107k 90th $109k You: $104,930
10th (Entry) $85,550 $41.13/hr
25th (Junior) $99,220 $47.70/hr
50th (Median) $104,930 $50.45/hr
75th (Senior) $107,200 $51.54/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $108,590 $52.21/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Dental Hygienist in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
1
New-Graduate Dental HygienistAssociate's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$80,115$38.52/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Dental HygienistDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state RDH license
$89,420$42.99/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Experienced Dental HygienistFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state RDH license
$104,930$50.45/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Lead Hygienist / Clinical CoordinatorOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$116,054$55.80/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Hygiene Program DirectorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$134,772$64.79/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
19% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,261/month Requires minimum annual gross of $50,440
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,497/month Requires minimum annual gross of $59,880
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.75/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.58/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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.

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$104,930-$20,897$77,738$2,989.91
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$124,604-$26,470$90,658$3,486.83
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$144,279-$32,321$103,301$3,973.13
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$163,953-$38,264$115,852$4,455.83
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$183,628-$44,208$128,402$4,938.54
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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$104,930/yr
$50.45/hr · SOC 29-1292
Statutory Tax Drag
19.91% Effective
-$20,897 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
19% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$5,217/mo
Post-$1,261/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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: Market Snapshot

Dental Hygienist roles in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX report a median annual wage of $104,930, 7.0% above the national median of $98,100. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $85,550 to $108,590, and HUD’s $1,261 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 14.4% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.75 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Dental Hygienist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$146,760+39.9%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$139,990+33.4%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$136,210+29.8%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$135,990+29.6%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$133,740+27.5%
Anchorage, AK$132,740+26.5%
Fairbanks-College, AK$131,860+25.7%
Napa, CA$131,370+25.2%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$131,040+24.9%
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$130,600+24.5%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$275,270$132.34/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$172,160$82.77/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$172,020$82.70/hr
Financial Manager$166,910$80.25/hr
Marketing Managers$153,030$73.57/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$148,870$71.57/hr
Human Resources Managers$142,110$68.32/hr
Data Engineer$139,100$66.88/hr
Purchasing Managers$139,050$66.85/hr
Physician Assistant$137,240$65.98/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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (2026) Overview

Dental Hygienist median pay in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX is $104,930 a year ($50.45/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD. Official 2026 economic data for Dental Hygienist in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

The median annual wage is $104,930 ($50.45 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $85,550 and $108,590. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Dental Hygienist in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX after taxes?

On the median wage of $104,930, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $82,648 a year ($6,887 a month) after $22,282 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 21.23%, using 2026 tax rules.