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Are you happy with your current dental salary? It seems like a simple enough question to answer—especially if you enjoy your patients, your coworkers, and the dentist you work for. But is it really that simple? When considering today’s ever-increasing costs, from groceries to healthcare, many dental professionals are likely thinking a lot more about their salaries than they have in recent months or even years, even though they are satisfied with their workplace.
When you really like where you work but need to increase your bottom line to keep up financially, what are your options to improve your dental assistant or dental hygienist salary? The answer is easier than you might think.
This article will discuss various factors influencing dental salary rates, salary satisfaction levels, and working with Kwikly as a temp dental professional. If you are looking for ways to boost your income from your dental hygiene or dental assistant job, we will show you how working with Kwikly can help you do that.
Why Does Your Dental Salary Matter?
The dental hygienist (or assistant) pay rates or total compensation package, including benefits like paid vacation, retirement, and employer-paid insurance, play a significant role in overall job satisfaction.
Every employee wants to know they are valued, and one way employers demonstrate value to their staff is through a pay rate or a compensation package. This is especially true in the dental field. Dentistry is a high-stress, high-burnout career, and dental hygienists and dental assistants can often feel unappreciated.

According to a PubMed article by the NIH’s National Library of Medicine, when dental hygienists who were not currently practicing were surveyed, they said, “… they would consider returning to practice if a better salary were available, if they could find part-time work … .”
How Much Does a Dental Hygienist Make?
RDH Magazine’s 2024 Salary Survey Report: The State of the RDH Career indicates that 4,300 dental professionals, including over 1,800 dental hygienists, were surveyed regarding their dental salary. Despite a 7.85% increase in the hourly hygienist pay rate ($45.75 for full-time and $46.00 for part-time), satisfaction with their dental hygiene pay rate declined, resulting in 42% of dental hygienists looking for new job opportunities.
The ADHA published an interactive map enabling you to search for the average dental hygienist salary across the USA. The map allows you to search hygienist pay rates by state as well as factors affecting them, such as:
- Number of years in practice
- Primary practice setting
- Highest level of dental hygiene education
- Whether you hold additional licenses or certifications
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – May 2023 report estimates a hygienist pay rate to be $31.30–$56.92 per hour.

How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make?
Just as there are factors that affect a dental hygienist’s salary, there are factors that affect a dental assistant salary. According to the Dental Assistant Salary Guide published by All Allied Health Schools, two of the most prominent factors are:
- Geography: Salaries differ from one part of the USA to another. However, salaries in areas with a growing number of older adults tend to be higher because of higher demand.
- Education: Attending an accredited dental assisting program will help prepare you to pass the DANB exam and become certified.
According to the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) 2024 Dental Assistants Salary and Satisfaction Survey, certified dental assistants earn 15% more than non-certified dental assistants, equating to $3.50 more per hour. Certified assistants also report higher job satisfaction. The article also has a map showing dental assistant salary data by state.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – May 2023 report suggests a dental assistant pay rate of $17.05–29.35 per hour.
How Working as a Temp Hygienist or Assistant With Kwikly Can Boost Your Income
Now that you have reviewed all the statistical data, how can working as a temp dental professional with Kwikly help you earn a higher dental salary and experience improved job satisfaction?
There are several reasons hygienists and assistants may work as a temp:
- They work part-time and need to fill in the gaps
- They need extra money (long-term or short-term)
- They enjoy the challenge of working with new people and in different offices
- They prefer the flexibility temp work offers
Kwikly offers solutions to all of the above. We are a nationwide dental staffing agency. We soar above the competition in how we work with our dental professionals.

Kwikly Hires Dental Temps as W-2 Employees | Boots Your Dental Salary
There is always a question about dental temps being “1099 employees.” They are not, and you can read why. Kwikly removes the guesswork by hiring all temp dental hygienists and assistants as Kwikly employees.
How Does Hiring Temps as Kwikly W-2 Employees Benefit Hygienists and Assistants?
We take care of all the paperwork and taxes and offer benefits depending on the number of hours you work. We also research to ensure our dental assistant and dental hygienist pay rates are the industry’s best. What better way to boost your income than working with a company that has your back when it comes to pay negotiations?
When you work full-time with Kwikly as a dental hygiene temp, you will earn full-time pay and qualify for healthcare benefits, PTO, and a CE allowance.
Temporary dental assistants benefit from the flexibility offered by Kwikly, making their own schedules, and higher-than-average pay. They also have the security and support of W-2 employment.
Temping with Kwikly gives you access to our cutting-edge mobile app, which offers complete flexibility and control over your schedule. With our app, you can view shifts posted in real-time, read reviews of the offices, and receive alerts for ‘dental hygiene jobs near me’ or ‘dental assistant jobs near me’—all from your smartphone. You can work as many shifts as you want, boosting your income to whatever level you desire.

Work With Kwikly: The USA’s Best Temporary Dental Staffing Agency
Working with a temp agency like Kwikly provides opportunities for flexibility, experiences that help you grow your professional skills, and top-notch earning potential. Go to joinkwikly.com and sign up today to experience better pay rates, the appreciation from offices you crave, and the flexibility you want—improving your overall job satisfaction.