Dental Hygienists salary in St. Louis, MO
Median pay for dental hygienists in St. Louis, MO: $80,300/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $63,420 – $93,600 · about 1,990 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($81,085) by −$785 (-1%).
What it's really worth in St. Louis
With St. Louis's cost of living at 95 (US=100), that $80,300 has the buying power of about $84,550 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $75,316 · median home $276,878 · median rent $1,451/mo.
How St. Louis ranks for this job
On raw pay, St. Louis, MO is 100th of the 184 metros we hold dental hygienists wages for. Once St. Louis's cost of living is applied, it ranks 120th.
The headline number flatters St. Louis. 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 St. Louis
A median home in St. Louis, MO costs $276,878 — about 3.4× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,451/mo works out at 22% 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 St. Louis.
| Metro | Median pay | vs St. Louis | Rent vs St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $137,450 | +71% | 2.2× |
| San Jose, CA | $135,460 | +69% | 2.5× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $132,360 | +65% | 2.3× |
| Seattle, WA | $129,410 | +61% | 1.5× |
Same job elsewhere in MO
| Metro | Median pay | vs St. Louis | Rent vs St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO | $82,880 | +3% | 1.1× |
| Springfield, MO | $77,910 | −3% | 0.9× |
Staying in MO keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires dental hygienists around St. Louis
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- BJC HealthCare · Healthcare
- Barnes Jewish Hospital · Healthcare
Other jobs in St. Louis
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.