Dental Hygienist Schools in North Carolina

Dental Hygienist Schools in North Carolina

If you are looking for an exciting place to study and work as a dental hygienist, North Carolina has a lot to offer. This is a state that has it all, from the soaring mountains of the Appalachians to the beautiful beaches fronting the Atlantic ocean.

We have researched the demand, salary, and licensing requirements for dental hygienists in North Carolina. But first, you are probably wondering what it’s like to live there! Here are some quick facts about North Carolina!

North Carolina is known by a couple of nicknames: The Tar Heel State, and Old North State. It is the 9th most populous state in the US. Major cities include Charlotte, Raleigh (the state capital), Greensboro, Durham, Winston-Salem and Fayetteville.

What is there to do in North Carolina? NC boasts a number of exciting indoor and outdoor activities. Popular scenic destinations include the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, which offers stunning vistas, especially when the leaves are turning in the fall, and Dry Falls In the Highlands. Another famous landmark is the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, an extraordinary European-style mansion. Take a tour of Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington, or take a turn through the Wheels Through Time Transportation Museum in Maggie Valley. Visit the famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in Buxton or take in some sun and sand at Jockey’s Ridge State Park at Nags Head.

For culture, visit the Durham Performing Arts Center and take in a show, or take a tour of the North Carolina Museum of Art. If you are into sports, you can watch the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, or Carolina Hurricanes. NASCAR is also a big deal in NC, along with professional golf.

North Carolina Dental Hygiene Programs

Excited about learning and working in North Carolina, and ready to take the next step? It is time to look for a school! We have done the hard work and compiled a list for you complete with contact information for all of the accredited programs in the state. Take a look, and good luck!

InstituteAddressWebsiteProgram
Asheville-Buncombe Tech Community College340 Victoria Rd.
Asheville, NC 28801
www.abtech.eduAAS
Cape Fear Community College411 North Front Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
cfcc.eduAAS
Catawba Valley Community College2550 Highway 70 SE
Hickory, NC 28602
www.cvcc.eduAAS
Central Carolina Community College1105 Kelly Drive
Sanford, NC 27330
www.cccc.eduAAS
Central Piedmont Community CollegeP.O. Box 35009
Charlotte, NC 28235
www.cpcc.eduAAS
Coastal Carolina Community College444 Western Blvd.
Jacksonville, NC 28546
www.coastalcarolina.eduAAS
Fayetteville Technical Community College2201 Hull Rd. - P.O. Box 35236
Fayetteville, NC 28303
www.faytechcc.eduAAS
Forsyth Technical Community College2100 Silas Creek Parkway
Winston-Salem, NC 27103
www.forsythtech.eduAAS
Guilford Technical Community CollegeP.O. Box 309
Jamestown, NC 27282
www.gtcc.eduAAS
Halifax Community CollegeP. O. Drawer 809
Weldon, NC 27890
www.halifaxcc.eduAAS
The University of North Carolina at Chapel HillKoury Oral Health Sciences, Suite 1611 318 S. Columbia Street, Campus Box 7450 Chapel Hill, NC 27599www.dentistry.unc.eduBS-DH
Wake Technical Community College2901 Holston Lane
Raleigh, NC 27610
www.waketech.eduAAS

License Requirements

If you wish to become a dental hygienist in the state of North Carolina, you will have to meet the following requirements.

  • You will need to graduate from an accredited dental program in the state.
  • You will have to take and pass the National board Dental Hygiene Examination.
  • You will also have to pass a regional exam offered through the Council of Interstate Testing Agencies, Inc. (CITA).
  • North Carolina dental hygienists need CPR certification.
  • A temporary license is available with two years of practice.
  • You will have to submit to a background check. If you have committed a serious misdemeanor or felony in the past, the board may refuse to license you.

Dental Hygienist Salary in North Carolina

What can you expect to make per hour and per year if you work in North Carolina as a dental hygienist, and what is the demand like? According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nationwide, the dental hygiene profession is growing at a rate of 20%, which is much faster than average. That means that there are a lot of opportunities cropping up nationwide, and in a populous state like North Carolina, you will find plenty of demand for your skills.

The 2012 median annual pay for dentists nationwide reported by the BLS was $70,210 per year, which amounts to $33.75 per hour. In 2018, the median annual wage in North Carolina for dental hygienists was $70,720. The median hourly wage was $34.00. While this is slightly lower than the median number nationwide, it is comparable, and pretty typical as well. There are a few states where you can earn significantly more, but a number where you would also earn substantially less. So in terms of pay, North Carolina is a good choice.

Area NameEmploymentHourly mean wageAnnual mean wage
Asheville410$29.05$60,430
Burlington90$32.90$68,430
Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia2170$34.71$72,200
Durham, Chapel Hill320$33.89$70,490
Fayetteville210$30.99$64,450
Goldsboro50$36.05$74,990
Greensboro, High Point530$33.21$69,070
Greenville-$28.19$58,640
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton110$31.28$65,070
Jacksonville60$30.23$62,890
Mountain North Carolina nonmetropolitan area200$31.66$65,850
New Bern80$35.19$73,200
Northeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area80$29.82$62,020
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area400$28.82$59,950
Raleigh1050$34.08$70,880
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area320$33.39$69,450
Wilmington300$32.21$66,990
Winston, Salem400$34.54$71,840

Neighboring States

While North Carolina has many dental hygiene programs, you might prefer one in a neighboring state. North Carolina borders the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia and South Carolina to the south.

About Ansar Ullah

My dream was always to become a medical doctor. However, I could not afford to study medicine so I became a writer.
Here I write about dentistry and careers in the wider field of dentistry. I love to research about educational topics and what it takes to be come a dental hygienist or a dental assistant. I also love to learn more about other specializations in the field of oral science.