Salary comparison
Dental Hygienists: Fairbanks vs Santa Cruz
Fairbanks, AK pays about 1.0% more for dental hygienists on paper — $131,860 vs $130,600. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Fairbanks comes out ahead by $1,260 a year in real buying power.
Fairbanks, AK
$131,860
$130,660
$133,190
$63.40
100
$131,860/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 $1,260 a year (1.0%) in favor of Fairbanks. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Fairbanks runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Cruz sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Fairbanks is the better deal by $1,260 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Cruz to Fairbanks for this role, the raise needs to beat 1.0% 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, Fairbanks or Santa Cruz?
Fairbanks pays $131,860 on median — about 1.0% more than Santa Cruz ($130,600). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Fairbanks. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Fairbanks gives you roughly$131,860 of real buying power versus $130,600 in the other city.