Dental Hygienists salary in Fort Collins, CO
Median pay for dental hygienists in Fort Collins, CO: $98,510/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $96,540 – $103,660 · about 280 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($81,085) by +$17,425 (+21%).
What it's really worth in Fort Collins
With Fort Collins's cost of living at 97 (US=100), that $98,510 has the buying power of about $101,235 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $87,199 · median home $556,500 · median rent $1,928/mo.
How Fort Collins ranks for this job
On raw pay, Fort Collins, CO is 38th of the 184 metros we hold dental hygienists wages for. Once Fort Collins's cost of living is applied, it ranks 32nd.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Fort Collins sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Fort Collins
A median home in Fort Collins, CO costs $556,500 — about 5.6× 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 $1,928/mo works out at 23% 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 Fort Collins.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Fort Collins | Rent vs Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $137,450 | +40% | 1.7× |
| San Jose, CA | $135,460 | +38% | 1.9× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $132,360 | +34% | 1.7× |
| Seattle, WA | $129,410 | +31% | 1.2× |
Same job elsewhere in CO
| Metro | Median pay | vs Fort Collins | Rent vs Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO | $104,900 | +6% | 1× |
| Greeley, CO | $101,420 | +3% | 0.9× |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $100,360 | +2% | 0.9× |
| Boulder, CO | $99,700 | +1% | 1.2× |
Staying in CO keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires dental hygienists around Fort Collins
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital · Healthcare
Other jobs in Fort Collins
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 184 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.