The need to fill healthcare practitioner and technical occupations, which includes dental hygienists, is essential for Arkansas’s future economic development. In fact, the Arkansas Department of Workforce Solutions speculates this major occupational group will require an additional 12,367 workers between 2012 and 2022.
This employment projection will definitely benefit jobseekers searching for dental hygienist positions in Arkansas. In 2012, the state employed roughly 1,305 dental hygienists. Yet by 2022, this occupation will demand an additional 354 workers. As a result, jobseekers will likely see an average of 35 job openings annually through 2022.
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Dental Hygienist Salaries Steadily Rise in Arkansas
Dental hygienist salaries in Arkansas have continued to rise within the last five years. In 2009, the Department of Workforce Solutions estimated the average mean salary for dental hygienist employed in the state was $63,670/yr.
Workers generally fell above or below this average depending on their amount of previous field experience. For example, less experienced dental hygienists were often assigned to entry-level positions that paid an average salary of $63,670/yr.
By comparison, workers with substantial experience were often able to perform a wider-range of job responsibilities. This greater skill range frequently led to higher salary compensations. As such, more experienced dental hygienists earned an advanced average salary of $74,340/yr.
Current Salaries for Dental Hygienists in Arkansas
Statewide Arkansas salary percentiles for 2013 are shown here:
- 10th Percentile: $36,400/yr.
- 25th Percentile: $44,800/yr.
- Median Percentile: $61,300/yr.
- 75th Percentile: $77,100/yr.
- 90th Percentile: $88,800/yr.
Dental Hygienist Salaries and Wages Across Geographic Locales
The demand for dental health services often varies between communities in Arkansas. Workers’ employment and pay averages tend to differ as a result. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, features these dental hygienist salary and wage differences for 2013 in the table below: