Dental Hygienist Salary in Louisiana (2026)
The average Dental Hygienist in Louisiana earns around $64,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $52,224/year ($4,352/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $52,224 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $4,352 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $2,009 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $25/hr |
Federal Tax | $5,500 |
State Tax | $1,380 |
FICA Taxes | $4,896 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 18.4% |
Want to model 401(k), HSA, or pre-tax contributions against your full salary? Open the salary calculator →
1099 contract work or side gigs? Self-employment tax adds 15.3% on top. Open the 1099 tax calculator →
Working overtime? The 2025 OBBBA deduction may save you up to $12,500 on federal tax. Open the No Tax on Overtime calculator →
Dental Hygienist Salary Ranges in Louisiana
Not all Dental Hygienists earn the same — not even close
Louisiana's dental hygienist market is anchored by LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry (the only LA DDS-granting school + Department of Dental Hygiene granting ~30 BSDH RDHs/yr + the substantial LSU School of Dentistry post-Katrina rebuild + faculty practice + community dental clinics), Ochsner Health dental services NOLA (the largest LA non-profit healthcare system + ~50 Ochsner dental clinic locations + integrated dental + medical care), the dense NOLA metro private practice cluster (uptown + Metairie + Kenner + Slidell + Mandeville + Covington Northshore + the substantial NOLA pediatric + orthodontic + cosmetic dentistry private practices), Baton Rouge private practice (Mid City + Bocage + Inniswold + Highland Road LSU corridor + Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital pediatric dental), Lafayette + Acadiana private practice, Shreveport-Bossier + LSU Health Shreveport private practice, plus substantial LA mobile + community + nonprofit dental access programs.
Senior RDH (Private Practice, NOLA / BR)
$68,000–$92,000+
Senior RDH at NOLA + BR private practice · 8+ years · top-of-scale band
Periodontal RDH Specialist
$72,000–$98,000+
Periodontal practice + scaling + root planing specialty · NOLA + BR + Lafayette
Pediatric RDH
$62,000–$85,000+
Pediatric dental practice · Our Lady of the Lake Children + LSU pediatric + private peds
Orthodontic RDH
$58,000–$82,000+
Orthodontic practice · Invisalign + appliance management · NOLA + BR + Lafayette
RDH (Ochsner Health / Hospital-based)
$58,000–$78,000+
Ochsner Health dental + hospital-based + integrated care + benefits-rich
RDH (LSU Health NOLA / Academic)
$52,000–$72,000+
LSU School of Dentistry faculty practice + community dental clinic + academic
Temp / Contract RDH (1099)
$45/hr–$65/hr
Temp + contract 1099 RDH · NOLA + BR + Lafayette private practice fill-in
Mid-Career RDH (3-7 yrs)
$55,000–$72,000+
Mid-career RDH transitioning to senior band · LA private practice
Entry RDH (0-2 yrs)
$48,000–$58,000+
New grad RDH · LSU Health NOLA + Louisiana State University Eunice + Delgado pipeline
RDH Educator (LSU Health / Delgado)
$58,000–$82,000+
LSU School of Dentistry + Delgado CC + LSU Eunice dental hygiene faculty
Worth knowing: LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry is the only LA DDS-granting institution and a feature most national RDH-career surveys understate for LA. LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry (founded 1968 + LSU Health Sciences Center system + ~60 DDS/yr + the substantial Department of Dental Hygiene + ~30 BSDH/yr + the substantial LSU School of Dentistry post-Katrina rebuild + the substantial LSU School of Dentistry faculty practice + community dental clinics + the substantial LSU dental + LSU Department of Periodontics + LSU Department of Pediatric Dentistry + LSU Department of Orthodontics + LSU Department of Endodontics) supports substantial LA dental clinical training pipeline including ~30 LA-trained RDH new grads annually plus continuing-education + specialty cert pathways. Louisiana State University Eunice (LSUE Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene + ~25 ADH/yr) + Delgado Community College NOLA (Associate of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene + ~30 AADH/yr) + Northwestern State University Shreveport + Louisiana State University Shreveport feed the secondary LA RDH pipeline. Ochsner Health (the largest LA non-profit healthcare system + ~36 hospitals + ~50 dental clinic locations + integrated dental + medical care + the substantial Ochsner dental access) supports substantial LA hospital-based + integrated RDH employment. The dense NOLA + BR + Lafayette + Shreveport private practice market drives the bulk of LA RDH career opportunity — senior RDH at NOLA + BR private practice clears $68-92K with periodontal + pediatric + orthodontic specialty adding $5-15K. Temp/contract 1099 RDH at $45-65/hr is substantial for LA RDH supplemental income. LA RDH scope of practice is moderate — LA does NOT recognize independent RDH practice (requires dentist supervision). LA's flat 3% (post-2024 Act 11) + no state estate tax (repealed 2008) + LA RTW since 1976 anchor the LA RDH proposition.
Calculate Your Exact Take-Home Pay
Add 401(k) contributions, HSA, dependents, and more to see your personalized take-home.
Open Full CalculatorFrequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about your taxes and our calculator.
Compare Two States
See how income tax, take-home pay, and total tax burden differ between any two US states side by side.
State 1
State 2
Dental Hygienist Salary in Other States
More on Louisiana
Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for Louisiana in 2026.
Tax brackets, standard deductions, and take-home estimates for Louisiana in 2026.
Adjust filing status, 401(k) for your exact 2026 take-home in Louisiana.