SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Perform limited clinical duties under the direction of a dentist. Clinical duties may include equipment preparation and sterilization, preparing patients for treatment, assisting the dentist during treatment, and providing patients with instructions for oral healthcare procedures. May perform administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 31-9091.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $37,130 | $3,094 | $714 | $17.85 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $44,340 | $3,695 | $853 | $21.32 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $48,070 | $4,006 | $924 | $23.11 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $58,090 | $4,841 | $1,117 | $27.93 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $62,250 | $5,188 | $1,197 | $29.93 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Dental Assistants is $48,070, which is 6% lower. Among the 17 occupations of the field Healthcare Support, it ranks number 5 by median pay. With 387,790 jobs, it makes up about 25 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Dental Assistants pay by state
The highest median pay was in Minnesota ($65,270), District of Columbia ($60,580) and Maine ($60,070). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($35,910), Virgin Islands ($36,540) and Utah ($37,760). The most jobs were in California (56,220), Texas (33,230) and Florida (26,620). The occupation is most concentrated in Utah, where its share of all jobs is 1.5 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 5,980 | $65,270 | $64,740 | $31.38 |
| District of Columbia | 630 | $60,580 | $63,360 | $29.13 |
| Maine | 1,550 | $60,070 | $57,140 | $28.88 |
| New Hampshire | 1,600 | $59,530 | $57,200 | $28.62 |
| Oregon | 5,930 | $59,490 | $60,110 | $28.60 |
| Washington | 13,050 | $58,090 | $56,680 | $27.93 |
| Massachusetts | 9,680 | $57,980 | $56,640 | $27.88 |
| North Dakota | 860 | $57,770 | $56,450 | $27.78 |
| Alaska | 1,140 | $57,710 | $55,220 | $27.74 |
| Connecticut | 3,840 | $56,850 | $53,970 | $27.33 |
| Vermont | 580 | $52,760 | $54,550 | $25.37 |
| North Carolina | 11,450 | $50,380 | $51,510 | $24.22 |
| Rhode Island | 1,050 | $50,150 | $52,790 | $24.11 |
| California | 56,220 | $50,110 | $54,710 | $24.09 |
| New Jersey | 9,990 | $49,390 | $52,940 | $23.74 |
| Arizona | 8,680 | $49,000 | $50,280 | $23.56 |
| Michigan | 11,990 | $48,820 | $49,650 | $23.47 |
| Indiana | 6,690 | $48,670 | $50,480 | $23.40 |
| Maryland | 6,560 | $48,620 | $50,720 | $23.38 |
| Illinois | 13,740 | $48,610 | $48,990 | $23.37 |
| Iowa | 3,210 | $48,430 | $50,450 | $23.28 |
| Colorado | 8,360 | $48,340 | $50,230 | $23.24 |
| New York | 19,800 | $48,110 | $49,820 | $23.13 |
| Ohio | 12,150 | $47,970 | $52,370 | $23.06 |
| Pennsylvania | 12,080 | $47,930 | $50,130 | $23.05 |
| South Dakota | 1,290 | $47,900 | $50,170 | $23.03 |
| Kentucky | 4,530 | $47,730 | $48,440 | $22.95 |
| Florida | 26,620 | $47,620 | $48,500 | $22.89 |
| Delaware | 990 | $47,600 | $47,520 | $22.89 |
| Wisconsin | 7,760 | $47,520 | $49,150 | $22.85 |
| South Carolina | 5,530 | $47,320 | $47,310 | $22.75 |
| Nevada | 4,230 | $47,110 | $45,880 | $22.65 |
| Georgia | 10,540 | $46,840 | $46,870 | $22.52 |
| Tennessee | 7,420 | $46,720 | $49,670 | $22.46 |
| Montana | 1,450 | $46,680 | $47,180 | $22.44 |
| Virginia | 10,760 | $46,670 | $47,490 | $22.44 |
| Nebraska | 2,520 | $46,660 | $46,430 | $22.43 |
| Missouri | 6,760 | $45,970 | $46,790 | $22.10 |
| Idaho | 2,680 | $45,880 | $47,250 | $22.06 |
| Oklahoma | 4,550 | $45,740 | $44,790 | $21.99 |
| Texas | 33,230 | $45,430 | $44,830 | $21.84 |
| Wyoming | 630 | $44,990 | $44,100 | $21.63 |
| Hawaii | 1,960 | $44,720 | $43,180 | $21.50 |
| New Mexico | 2,150 | $44,400 | $45,130 | $21.35 |
| Louisiana | 4,540 | $44,090 | $42,540 | $21.20 |
| Arkansas | 2,950 | $42,830 | $42,130 | $20.59 |
| Guam | 110 | $40,280 | $41,500 | $19.37 |
| Mississippi | 3,080 | $39,160 | $42,910 | $18.83 |
| Alabama | 3,740 | $39,080 | $41,710 | $18.79 |
| West Virginia | 1,290 | $37,960 | $41,280 | $18.25 |
| Utah | 6,640 | $37,760 | $40,550 | $18.16 |
| Virgin Islands | 70 | $36,540 | $37,110 | $17.57 |
| Puerto Rico | 3,210 | $35,910 | $36,870 | $17.27 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Physical Therapist Assistants$68,380 a year
- Massage Therapists$58,450 a year
- Healthcare Support Workers, All Other$48,430 a year
- Medical Equipment Preparers$47,700 a year
- Medical Assistants$45,690 a year
- Phlebotomists$45,230 a year
Common questions
How much do Dental Assistants earn in the United States?
The median pay was $48,070 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $37,130 and the highest-paid 10% more than $62,250.
How many people work as Dental Assistants?
About 387,790 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.