A Career With A Dental Hygienist Salary

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Is it possible for someone with a four-year bachelor's degree to earn an equal salary or even less than someone with just a two-year associate's degree? How does a dental hygienist salary compare to a job that requires four-year courses? In most cases, having a higher educational background do equals higher salary, benefits, and career advancement. However, there are some occupations that only require a two-year associate's degree yet they pay an equal or higher salary than those with higher education.

A dental hygienist salary is one of these. To enter this field, you only need to finish a two-year associate's degree or certificate offered by community colleges, universities, and the military. The requirements to be accepter in a dental hygiene program is a high school diploma and passing the college's entrance exam. There are many dental hygiene programs nowadays that's why it's important that you enroll only in a program that is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. You will usually receive an associate's degree or a certificate after completing the program, although there are programs that will grant you a bachelor's degree or a master's degree if those are what you choose to finish. Finishing an associate's degree will often give you the high dental hygienist salary that you want but undergoing higher education will certainly lead to an even higher salary that what you can expect from an associate's degree in dental hygiene.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual dental hygienist salary is $67,860 with the top 10 percent of the high earners receiving $92,860 a year. There are many factors that affect the amount of salary you receive and if you're in the right situation, you can earn higher salary than those in jobs that require four-year courses. These factors include geographical location, work setting, years of experience, and higher education, which in this case, is a bachelor's degree or master's degree in dental hygiene. Private dental offices generally require a minimum of an associate degree or certificate before one can work as a dental hygienist. A bachelor's or master's degree is usually required for research, teaching, or clinical practice in public or school health programs.

If you need to change careers for certain reasons or you can't afford a four-year course at the moment, this is the perfect career option for you. Aside from the high dental hygienist salary, you also have the opportunity to receive other benefits like paid vacation, sick leave, a 401(k) plan, dental plan, and other perks.