Employment Facts for Dental Hygienists:
Dental hygienists held about 167,000 jobs in 2006. Since many were multiple jobholders, there were fewer hygienists than jobs.

Educational Requirements for Dental Hygienists:
To work as a dental hygienist one must graduate from an accredited dental hygiene school with either an associate degree (most common), a certificate, a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree.

Other Requirements for Dental Hygienists:
A dental hygienist, after graduating from an accredited program, must get a license from the state in which he or she wants to practice. In order to get licensed, one must pass a written exam and a clinical exam. Dental hygienists must have good manual dexterity and should work well with others.

Job Outlook for Dental Hygienists:
The future for dental hygienists looks bright. This field is expected to have greater than average job growth through 2016 and job prospects should be plentiful. It is one of the fastest growing occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

How Much Do Dental Hygienists Earn?:
Dental hygienists earned a median annual salary of $64,740 and median hourly wages of $31.12 in May 2007.

Hope this helps.