SOC 29-1292

Dental Hygienist Salary in Raleigh-Cary, NC (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 + NC
COL Index: 136.24 (+36.2% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 71.4% Realized
$70,515 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $98,800 $47.50/hr
Effective Tax Drag 22.63% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$22,357 $859.88/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 $47.50 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$5,928/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,304/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$11,602
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$6,126
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,433
North Carolina Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$3,197
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$70,515 ($2,712.12 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Raleigh-Cary, NC Dental Hygienist Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $98,800
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $74.9k 25th $97.7k Median: $98,800 50th (Median) $98.8k 75th $103k 90th $106k You: $98,800
10th (Entry) $74,940 $36.03/hr
25th (Junior) $97,680 $46.96/hr
50th (Median) $98,800 $47.50/hr
75th (Senior) $103,040 $49.54/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $105,730 $50.83/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Dental Hygienist in Raleigh-Cary, NC
1
New-Graduate Dental HygienistAssociate's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$75,434$36.27/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Dental HygienistDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state RDH license
$84,197$40.48/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Experienced Dental HygienistFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state RDH license
$98,800$47.50/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Lead Hygienist / Clinical CoordinatorOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$109,274$52.54/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Hygiene Program DirectorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$126,899$61.01/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Raleigh-Cary, NC 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 Raleigh-Cary, NC under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
26% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,552/month Requires minimum annual gross of $62,080
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,689/month Requires minimum annual gross of $67,560
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $30.13/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $24.42/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 Raleigh-Cary, NC.

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$98,800-$22,357$70,515$2,712.12
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$117,325-$28,300$81,986$3,153.29
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$135,850-$34,361$93,338$3,589.93
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$154,375-$40,652$104,461$4,017.71
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$172,900-$46,943$115,583$4,445.49
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 Raleigh-Cary, NC: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$98,800/yr
$47.50/hr · SOC 29-1292
Statutory Tax Drag
22.63% Effective
-$22,357 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
26% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,324/mo
Post-$1,552/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 Raleigh-Cary, NC: Market Snapshot

Dental Hygienist roles in Raleigh-Cary, NC report a median annual wage of $98,800, 0.7% above the national median of $98,100. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $74,940 to $105,730, and HUD’s $1,552 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 18.9% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $30.13 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Dental Hygienist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$146,760+48.5%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$139,990+41.7%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$136,210+37.9%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$135,990+37.6%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$133,740+35.4%
Anchorage, AK$132,740+34.4%
Fairbanks-College, AK$131,860+33.5%
Napa, CA$131,370+33.0%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$131,040+32.6%
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$130,600+32.2%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Raleigh-Cary, NC

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$286,050$137.52/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$173,960$83.63/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$173,510$83.42/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$169,780$81.62/hr
Marketing Managers$167,640$80.60/hr
Sales Managers$163,520$78.62/hr
Financial Manager$163,130$78.43/hr
Human Resources Managers$144,190$69.32/hr
Cybersecurity Analyst$143,640$69.06/hr
Actuary$142,180$68.36/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 Raleigh-Cary, NC (2026) Overview

Dental Hygienist median pay in Raleigh-Cary, NC is $98,800 a year ($47.50/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living. Official 2026 economic data for Dental Hygienist in Raleigh-Cary, NC 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 Raleigh-Cary, NC?

The median annual wage is $98,800 ($47.50 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $74,940 and $105,730. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Dental Hygienist in Raleigh-Cary, NC after taxes?

On the median wage of $98,800, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $74,902 a year ($6,242 a month) after $23,898 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 24.19%, using 2026 tax rules.