Salary comparison
Dental Hygienists: Bremerton vs Santa Cruz
Bremerton, WA pays about 0.3% more for dental hygienists on paper — $131,040 vs $130,600. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Bremerton comes out ahead by $440 a year in real buying power.
Bremerton, WA
$131,040
$114,760
$137,100
$63.00
100
$131,040/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Cruz, CA
$130,600
$122,180
$145,600
$62.79
100
$130,600/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $440 a year (0.3%) in favor of Bremerton. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Bremerton runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Cruz sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Bremerton is the better deal by $440 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Cruz to Bremerton for this role, the raise needs to beat 0.3% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do dental hygienists earn more, Bremerton or Santa Cruz?
Bremerton pays $131,040 on median — about 0.3% more than Santa Cruz ($130,600). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Bremerton. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Bremerton gives you roughly$131,040 of real buying power versus $130,600 in the other city.