Dental Hygienist Salary Survey 2014
Difficulty in finding a job as a dental hygienist in California
Observation: Californians are less likely to say it is “very difficult” to find a job. The national average is that 46% say it is very difficult to find a job in dental hygiene. California dental hygienists lean toward the terminology that it is “somewhat” difficult to find employment. The major metropolitan areas in California influenced the statistics in this report as follows: Los Angeles (22%), San Francisco-Oakland (19%), San Diego (10%), and Sacramento (7%). Dental hygienists from outside of these metropolitan areas contributed 42% of the statistics for this report.
Length of time since last pay raise in California
Observation: California dental hygienists receive raises less frequently than national averages. Only 12% received a raise within the last year, and 23% have never received a raise. In contrast, the national averages were 26% receiving a raise within last year, and only 13% have never gotten a raise.
Most common hourly pay rates in California
$40, $45, $46, and $50
Observation: California dental hygienists are well above national averages. Los Angeles and San Francisco were featured in a separate report for the salary survey: http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2014/10/rdh-evillage-salary-survey-part-3-comparing-urban-vs-rural-hygienists.html.
Most common range for daily rates in California
$351 to $425
Observation: California dental hygienists are above national averages.
Descriptions of pay arrangements based on production or commission
- Salary of $325 a day AND 40% of my production after producing the goal of $934 per day
- 15% of anything above my daily goal of $1500. This is in addition to my daily rate. Also 1% of any work I recommend that patients need. Also $20 per quadrant of scaling and root planing procedure.
- One office at 57% of prophy fee or quad scale/SRP, 30% of X-ray fee, 9 patients/day. Two offices at 60% of prophy fee or quad scale/SRP, 30% of X-ray fee; one office 10 pts/day, the other 11 pts/day. All are general practice offices.
- 45% of production
- 65% of all fees charged for hygiene services performed by me, with the exception of X-rays.
- 45% of all I produce, including X-rays.
- Production over $1,000 = 35% commission; production over $1,500 = 40% commission
- 30% of projected hygiene collections, prophy, X-rays and fluoride. If less than $40 hour, the $40 is base pay.
- Guaranteed daily rate, or 30% of production; whichever is higher
- 20% of production, which includes exam and X-rays. Plus $20 an hour
- 28% of production with a guarantee of $265 per day. Fluoride and dental hygiene products are excluded.
- I get a production bonus on a monthly basis. I get 15% of my production if I average more than $1,800 per working day.
