Dental Hygienists salary in Durham, NC

Median pay for dental hygienists in Durham, NC: $78,440/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $66,910 – $97,130 · about 380 employed locally

Below the typical metro median ($81,085) by −$2,645 (-3%).

What it's really worth in Durham

With Durham's cost of living at 97 (US=100), that $78,440 has the buying power of about $80,578 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $76,040 · median home $414,340 · median rent $1,703/mo.

Full Durham cost of living & taxes →

How Durham ranks for this job

On raw pay, Durham, NC is 128th of the 184 metros we hold dental hygienists wages for. Once Durham's cost of living is applied, it ranks 146th.

The headline number flatters Durham. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, dental hygienists here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.

What that salary buys in Durham

A median home in Durham, NC costs $414,340 — about 5.3× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,703/mo works out at 26% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where dental hygienists earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Durham.

Metro	Median pay	vs Durham	Rent vs Durham
San Francisco, CA	$137,450	+75%	1.9×
San Jose, CA	$135,460	+73%	2.1×
Santa Maria, CA	$132,360	+69%	2×
Seattle, WA	$129,410	+65%	1.3×

Same job elsewhere in NC

Metro	Median pay	vs Durham	Rent vs Durham
Charlotte, NC	$89,200	+14%	1×
Greensboro, NC	$81,110	+3%	0.8×
Raleigh, NC	$80,530	+3%	1×
Winston-Salem, NC	$80,410	+3%	0.9×

Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires dental hygienists around Durham

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Biogen · Healthcare

Other jobs in Durham