Dental Hygienist Salary in Arkansas (2026)

Worth knowing: Arkansas has NO in-state DDS-granting institution — AR is one of the handful of US states without an established dental school. AR dentists must train out-of-state at UT Health Science Center San Antonio School of Dentistry + LSU School of Dentistry New Orleans + UMKC School of Dentistry Kansas City MO + Meharry Medical College Nashville + the substantial AR Dental Sliding Scale + the substantial AR Dental Health Program for state-resident incentives + the substantial WICHE/SREB Southern Regional Education Board exchanges. This means AR RDH career opportunity is concentrated in private practice (the bulk of AR RDH employment) and in AR hospital-integrated dental at UAMS + Arkansas Children's + Baptist Health + CHI St Vincent + Mercy NW Arkansas + Washington Regional, with no in-state academic dental school faculty practice (though UAMS College of Health Professions hosts the substantial AR dental hygiene flagship). UAMS University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Health Professions Dental Hygiene Little Rock + Northwest Arkansas Community College Bentonville + Pulaski Technical College North Little Rock + South Arkansas Community College El Dorado + Arkansas State University-Beebe operate the five AR dental hygiene degree programs, producing ~110 AS/BSDH RDH graduates annually combined. UAMS University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock (the substantial UAMS as the substantial AR flagship academic medical + the substantial UAMS College of Health Professions Dental Hygiene + the substantial UAMS ~12K UAMS employees + the substantial UAMS College of Medicine + College of Pharmacy + College of Nursing + College of Health Professions + the substantial UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute + the substantial UAMS Children's Hospital pediatric dental + the substantial UAMS Eye Institute + the substantial UAMS Helen L. Porter Geriatric + the substantial UAMS integrated dental) + Arkansas Children's Hospital Little Rock (the substantial Arkansas Children's flagship pediatric + the substantial Arkansas Children's Northwest campus Springdale post-2018 + the substantial Arkansas Children's Eldredge Eye Institute + the substantial Arkansas Children's pediatric dental + orthodontic) + Baptist Health Little Rock (the substantial Baptist Health AR's substantial largest health system + the substantial Baptist Health 11 hospitals + the substantial Baptist Health integrated dental) + CHI St Vincent Little Rock (CommonSpirit Health + the substantial CHI Catholic medical center) + Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas Rogers + Washington Regional Medical Center Fayetteville anchor AR hospital-based + integrated RDH employment. The dense NW Arkansas + Little Rock + Fort Smith private practice market drives the bulk of AR RDH career opportunity — senior RDH at Bentonville + Rogers + Fayetteville private practice clears $58-78K. The substantial Bentonville + Little Rock Heights concierge dental (post-2020 NW Arkansas Walmart vendor UHNW migration to Bentonville + Rogers + Bella Vista + the substantial Walmart Walton family + the substantial Crystal Bridges Museum + the substantial Walmart corporate vendor executive market + the substantial Little Rock Heights + Hillcrest historic + Dillard's + Stephens + Acxiom executive market) supports unique AR private dental specialty work — concierge RDH at Bentonville + Little Rock Heights clears $65-85K. AR RDH scope of practice is moderate — AR State Board of Dental Examiners requires dentist supervision. AR progressive 2.0-3.9% (post-2024 reductions) + AR 6.5% state sales tax + AR NO estate tax (AR eliminated 2005) + AR IS a Right-to-Work state (signed 1944) + APERS public pension anchor the AR RDH proposition.