With less than one year of experience, a dental hygienist can expect to earn at least $12.38 an hour. This works out to almost $26,000 a year. On the high side, hygienists can earn a starting wage of $34.88 an hour, or just over $72,000 a year — a respectable salary for almost any professional fresh to the field.he median wage — or “midpoint” salary for this occupation — was $69,280 a year, which means that half of all hygienists earn this salary or more a year. But neither of these figures account for experience. As with any job, a dental hygienist makes less when starting in the industry.