I am a dental hygienist. If you live a city area you might make 50K. I made about 52K this past year and I live in a more rural area, but I work 5-6 days a week to make that. Check out amyrdh.com. She has a list on there that people from every state has responded to. She askes about the salary and benefits they make. It's a great career if you can get past the schooling. It's pretty difficult. Anything in medical is I guess. It's usually pretty competitive to get into the program. It's good you already thought about if you can handle gross things.....ummm.....cons.......sometimes it's hard to find full time work with benefits. A lot of hygienists end up with carpal tunnel or back/neck problems. Pros......rewarding career, flexibility with working hours, can work anywhere you live. (there's always a dentist office no matter where you would move), and the salary!