Compensation and Position Characteristics of Dental Hygiene Program Directors

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to collect information about dental hygiene program directors (PD) in order to create a comprehensive position profile for the profession and add to the current literature regarding employment trends and compensation in dental hygiene education. Information gained through this study addresses a gap in the literature and could be utilized by current and future educators considering a dental hygiene program director role or for recruitment purposes.Methods: An electronic survey, consisting of 38 items addressing areas including job characteristics, requirements, compensation, and anticipated retirement, was sent to PDs of all the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accredited dental hygiene programs in the United States (n=314). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. ANOVA analyses were used to determine whether significant differences existed regarding salary and compensation, contact hours, total working hours, contract characteristics, and job expectations.Results: Directors from 122 programs responded yielding a response rate of 39%. Seventy-one percent of respondents were aged 50-59 years and 46% reported having held the program director position for 3 years or less. Thirty-five percent of participants plan to retire from their program director position in the next five years. In regards to compensation, 47% of respondents indicated making between $60,000 and $79,999 and 3% reported earning less than $40,000 while 4% indicated salaries over $100,000. Total number of teaching years and highest degree held demonstrated a positive impact on adjusted monthly salary. PDs employed in university settings were significantly more likely to have ongoing requirements for scholarly activity; those employed in settings associated with a dental school had a longer average contract length than directors in other institutions. Potential dental hygiene PDs should expect an average workweek of 40-50 hours, with the majority of the time spent on administrative duties. Additional responsibilities include teaching, scholarly activity, and committee work.Conclusion: A position profile detailing the range of employment expectations for dental hygiene PDs has been created and can serve as a guide to inform and recruit potential program directors.