Prevailing Wage for Dental Hygienists
Prevailing wage for Dental Hygienists (SOC 29-1292) is set by the Department of Labor across four experience levels, and the floor varies significantly depending on the worksite city. Whether you hold an RDH credential, work as a Licensed Dental Hygienist, or are filing under an H-1B or green card petition, the correct level and location determine the minimum your employer must pay.
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Level 1 covers entry-level hygienists with limited professional experience, typically recent graduates who perform routine cleanings and basic assessments under close supervision, with little independent decision-making expected. Employers filing at this level are signaling a training-stage role.
Level 2 applies to qualified hygienists with moderate experience who work independently on standard prophylaxis, radiography, and patient education duties. This is the most common filing level for Dental Hygienists, reflecting typical mid-career clinical positions in private practice settings.
Level 3 describes experienced hygienists who handle complex periodontal cases, may mentor newer staff, and apply specialized clinical judgment. Employers filing here are recognizing a senior contributor whose scope extends beyond routine patient care.
Level 4 reflects fully competent hygienists in lead or specialized roles, such as those overseeing clinical protocols, providing advanced periodontal therapy, or administering topical anesthesia in states where that scope is permitted. These positions carry the highest prevailing wage floor.
Prevailing Wage for Dental Hygienists by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Dental Hygienists and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch the RDH title filing mismatch
Job postings for Registered Dental Hygienists sometimes get filed under a dental assistant or general health technician SOC code, which carries a lower prevailing wage floor. Confirm your LCA cites SOC 29-1292 before signing an offer.
Compare your offer to the California metros
California metros like San Jose, Santa Rosa, and Santa Maria set the national ceiling for this occupation. If your offer is in a lower-cost market, verifying the local OES survey figure through the OFLC Wage Search protects you from an underpayment that delays LCA certification.
Treat signing bonuses as separate from the wage floor
DOL requires the prevailing wage to be met through regular salary, not one-time bonuses. A signing bonus offered to close a gap between your offer and the L2 floor will not satisfy the LCA wage attestation, leaving your petition at risk.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers who sponsor hygienists
Sponsoring a dental hygienist requires LCA certification and H-1B or PERM filing, which many small private practices avoid. Migrate Mate shows which employers have actual sponsorship history for this role, so you focus on offices that have done it before.
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Find Jobs for Dental HygienistsPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 29-1292.00 alongside Dental Hygienists, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Hygienist Prevailing Wage
Hygienist Prevailing Wage
Hygienist positions fall under SOC 29-1292.00 (Dental Hygienists). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Licensed Dental Hygienist Prevailing Wage
Licensed Dental Hygienist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Licensed Dental Hygienist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1292.00 (Dental Hygienists). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Pediatric Dental Hygienist Prevailing Wage
Pediatric Dental Hygienist Prevailing Wage
Pediatric Dental Hygienist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1292.00 (Dental Hygienists). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) Prevailing Wage
Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) Prevailing Wage
Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) positions fall under SOC 29-1292.00 (Dental Hygienists). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Dental Hygienists?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. For Dental Hygienists under SOC 29-1292, the OFLC publishes four wage levels derived from that survey, updated annually. Employers must attest on the Labor Condition Application that they will pay at least the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean, and which one applies to my offer?
DOL assigns Level 1 to entry-level positions, Level 2 to qualified practitioners working independently, Level 3 to experienced hygienists with a broader or more complex scope, and Level 4 to fully competent professionals in senior or specialized roles. Your level is determined by the actual job duties and supervision structure in the position, not your credentials alone. Review the job description and compare it against OFLC level definitions before accepting an offer.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same hygienist role differ so much between cities?
DOL's prevailing wage is calculated from regional OES surveys, which capture actual wages paid in each labor market separately. A hygienist role in a California metro commands a materially higher floor than the same title in rural Alabama because local dental market rates, cost of living, and employer competition differ. The LCA must list the specific worksite address, and OFLC uses that address to assign the correct metropolitan area wage, so a multisite employer must apply the wage for each location where work is performed.
What happens if my sponsored offer is below the prevailing wage?
An employer who attests to a wage below the applicable prevailing wage on the LCA is filing a deficient application. OFLC can deny or withdraw certification, and USCIS can deny the H-1B or PERM petition on those grounds. For the worker, it means the petition fails or, if discovered post-approval, back-pay liability accrues from the certified start date. DOL's Wage and Hour Division enforces LCA wage obligations and can initiate investigations on complaints.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Dental Hygienists position in a specific city?
Look up the current figure directly through the OFLC Wage Search tool, entering SOC code 29-1292 and the metropolitan area where the job is located. The result shows all four wage levels for that area. Cross-check with Bureau of Labor Statistics OES data for the same area as a secondary reference. Migrate Mate lets you filter dental hygienist job listings by location and view which employers have sponsored the role historically, helping you identify offers worth pursuing before you verify the wage floor.
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