Dental Hygienists salary in Winston-Salem, NC
Median pay for dental hygienists in Winston-Salem, NC: $80,410/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $75,260 – $102,110 · about 410 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($81,085) by −$675 (-1%).
What it's really worth in Winston-Salem
With Winston-Salem's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $80,410 has the buying power of about $87,782 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $60,145 · median home $283,871 · median rent $1,546/mo.
How Winston-Salem ranks for this job
On raw pay, Winston-Salem, NC is 99th of the 184 metros we hold dental hygienists wages for. Once Winston-Salem's cost of living is applied, it ranks 89th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Winston-Salem sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Winston-Salem
A median home in Winston-Salem, NC costs $283,871 — about 3.5× 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 $1,546/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 Winston-Salem.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Winston-Salem | Rent vs Winston-Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $137,450 | +71% | 2.1× |
| San Jose, CA | $135,460 | +68% | 2.3× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $132,360 | +65% | 2.2× |
| Seattle, WA | $129,410 | +61% | 1.4× |
Same job elsewhere in NC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Winston-Salem | Rent vs Winston-Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | $89,200 | +11% | 1.1× |
| Greensboro, NC | $81,110 | +1% | 0.9× |
| Raleigh, NC | $80,530 | +0% | 1.1× |
| Hickory, NC | $80,270 | +0% | 1× |
Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires dental hygienists around Winston-Salem
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist · Healthcare
- Novant Health · Healthcare
Other jobs in Winston-Salem
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.