Temp dental hygienists make more per hour than a full or part-time hygienist working at a sole practice.
The average annual salary of a dental hygienist is about $77,000, but with the TempMee App, temp hygienists can easily earn more. The TempMee app allows hygienists to sort local shifts by the highest pay, counter for higher pay on lower offers, and even create their own schedules simultaneously.
Due to the shortage of dental hygienists, many offices are willing to pay increased rates for temp hygienists regardless of qualifications; keep this in mind when offering your services as a temp RDH.
Temp Dental Hygienist Annual Salary by State
This Map will give you an idea of the wages for dental hygienists across the U.S.
This Calculator will calculate the median wage of dental hygienists anywhere in the U.S.
Remember, temp dental hygienists often earn more per hour than the wages you will find on these tools.
How Much Should I be Paid as a Temp Dental Hygienist?
As a temp dental hygienist, you are in high demand, and there is a shortage of your services.
Keep this in mind when offering and negotiating your rate.
Generally, the rate should be at least $5-$10 or more than the median wage for dental hygienists in your state, regardless of your location or employer.
EXAMPLE:
Say I’m a temp dental hygienist in Florida, interested in seeing what I would charge for my services per hour. I would do the following:
1. Visit this site: https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Wages/find-salary.aspx?newsearch=true
2. Enter my Job title, “Dental Hygienist,” and the location I’m searching in “Florida”
3. Click “View Hourly Wages”
4. It will show you the median hourly dental hygienist wages in Florida.
5. Take note of the red bars here, representing the low, medium, and high wages in your state. The low-wage bar is no longer an accurate representation of a competitive wage in the current market.
If an RDH is paid anywhere close to $30 per hour, they can easily find a higher-paying position due to the sheer shortage of hygienists contrasted with the increasing demand.
6. Depending on your experience, calculate your temp hourly wage:
A. If you are a new dental hygienist with little experience, you can safely request up to $5 more than the median hourly wage of $37. Meaning you should request about $40-$42 per hour for your services as a temp dental hygienist in Florida.
B. If you are a more experienced dental hygienist, you can safely request up to $10 more than the median hourly wage of $37. Meaning you should request about $45-$50 per hour for your services as a temp dental hygienist in Florida.
C. If you are a highly experienced dental hygienist, you can safely request up to $20 more than the median hourly wage of $37. Meaning you should request about $50-$55 per hour for your services as a temp dental hygienist in Florida.
How Can I Control My Pay as a Temp Dental Hygienist?
Controlling your pay as a temp dental hygienist is easier than ever with apps like TempMee that allow you to view all local temp RDH shifts and counter every shift for a higher hourly wage!
Often, dental offices accept counter offers because they are willing to pay a little extra for a dental hygienist rather than cancel patients or move them to other hygienists and double-book them.
How to Submit a Counter Offer on the TempMee app!
Is Now The Right Time to Try Temping as a Dental Hygienist?
Temp dental hygienists enjoy a higher wage than part/full-time hygienists and experience greater flexibility/control of their schedules & pay.
While these benefits are undoubtedly enticing to anyone, some hygienists prefer the structure and stability of a regular office environment that comes with a part/full-time position.
Even if you work at an office regularly, TempMee allows you to find local temp RDH shifts whenever you have a gap in your schedule.
Picking up just one extra shift through the TempMee app means an extra $350-$500+ in your pocket!
How TempMee Helps Dental Hygienists Control Their Career
Summary
Dental Hygienists are in high demand, and their massive shortage is felt by offices when they cancel patients for the day or move them double booking already overworked hygienists.
Working as a temp hygienist provides a solution to these offices, and because of the immense need for your position, you have the privilege to choose where you work, when you work, and for the pay you deserve.
You can find work as a dental hygienist on the TempMee app regardless of where you are in your career. Whether you’re a completely new hygienist or a veteran, opportunities are waiting for you on the TempMee app.
Local dental offices post these opportunities, and they need your help urgently, which is why you can request higher pay for these shifts than originally posted with the “counter-offer” feature in the TempMee app.
Now is the right time to try temping as a dental hygienist because the market favors the worker since there is a shortage of workers and increased demand for the services dental hygienists provide.
Take advantage of this unique work climate to supplement your income as a temp RDH through TempMee, while still working as a full/part-time hygienist at your home office. Or, you can become a full-time temp by creating your own schedule through the TempMee app while counter-offering for the pay you deserve!
