Dental Hygienists salary in Nashville, TN
Median pay for dental hygienists in Nashville, TN: $84,350/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $54,200 – $96,910 · about 1,650 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($81,085) by +$3,265 (+4%).
What it's really worth in Nashville
With Nashville's cost of living at 97 (US=100), that $84,350 has the buying power of about $86,937 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $79,020 · median home $455,958 · median rent $1,798/mo.
How Nashville ranks for this job
On raw pay, Nashville, TN is 64th of the 184 metros we hold dental hygienists wages for. Once Nashville's cost of living is applied, it ranks 98th.
The headline number flatters Nashville. 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 Nashville
A median home in Nashville, TN costs $455,958 — about 5.4× 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 $1,798/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 Nashville.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Nashville | Rent vs Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $137,450 | +63% | 1.8× |
| San Jose, CA | $135,460 | +61% | 2× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $132,360 | +57% | 1.9× |
| Seattle, WA | $129,410 | +53% | 1.2× |
Same job elsewhere in TN
| Metro | Median pay | vs Nashville | Rent vs Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville, TN | $78,660 | −7% | 1× |
| Chattanooga, TN | $75,840 | −10% | 0.9× |
| Clarksville, TN | $72,110 | −15% | 0.7× |
| Kingsport, TN | $71,950 | −15% | 0.8× |
Staying in TN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires dental hygienists around Nashville
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center · Healthcare
- HCA Healthcare · Healthcare
- Ascension · Healthcare
Other jobs in Nashville
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.