Salary comparison
Dental Hygienists: Seattle vs Santa Cruz
Seattle, WA pays about 2.4% more for dental hygienists on paper — $133,740 vs $130,600. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Seattle comes out ahead by $3,140 a year in real buying power.
Seattle, WA
$133,740
$132,850
$160,190
$64.30
100
$133,740/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 $3,140 a year (2.4%) in favor of Seattle. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Seattle runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Cruz sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Seattle is the better deal by $3,140 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Cruz to Seattle for this role, the raise needs to beat 2.4% 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, Seattle or Santa Cruz?
Seattle pays $133,740 on median — about 2.4% more than Santa Cruz ($130,600). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Seattle. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Seattle gives you roughly$133,740 of real buying power versus $130,600 in the other city.