Average Salary for Dental Assistants
SOC 31-9091 · Healthcare Support Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Dental Assistants in the United States is $47,300 ($22.74/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $36,190 at the 10th percentile to $61,780 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 375,430 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 33.7% since 2014.
Median Annual
$47,300
Mean Annual
$48,860
10th Pct
$36,190
75th Pct
$56,910
Employment
375,430
Salary Distribution
$36k
10th
$40k
25th
$47k
Median
$57k
75th
$62k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $65,360 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $64,600 |
| Rochester, MN | $62,990 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $62,700 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $62,620 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $60,890 |
| Vallejo, CA | $60,220 |
| Mankato, MN | $60,160 |
| St. Cloud, MN | $60,060 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $59,790 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | $59,520 |
| Bismarck, ND | $59,480 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $59,440 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $59,270 |
| Napa, CA | $58,690 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | $64,630 |
| Massachusetts | $57,960 |
| Oregon | $57,720 |
| Washington | $57,040 |
| District of Columbia | $56,500 |
| Alaska | $55,950 |
| Maine | $51,340 |
| North Dakota | $51,310 |
| Vermont | $51,020 |
| Connecticut | $50,820 |
| New Hampshire | $50,260 |
| Arizona | $49,000 |
| California | $48,910 |
| North Carolina | $48,710 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,290 |
| Maryland | $48,280 |
| New Jersey | $48,070 |
| Rhode Island | $48,060 |
| Wisconsin | $48,000 |
| Indiana | $47,980 |
| Iowa | $47,820 |
| Colorado | $47,770 |
| South Dakota | $47,680 |
| Illinois | $47,430 |
| Ohio | $47,330 |
| Florida | $47,060 |
| Michigan | $47,030 |
| New York | $47,020 |
| Nevada | $46,970 |
| Virginia | $46,910 |
| Nebraska | $46,660 |
| Kentucky | $46,520 |
| Tennessee | $46,090 |
| Delaware | $46,090 |
| South Carolina | $45,930 |
| Montana | $45,820 |
| Georgia | $45,600 |
| Missouri | $45,220 |
| Hawaii | $44,870 |
| Oklahoma | $44,450 |
| Wyoming | $42,770 |
| Texas | $42,270 |
| Kansas | $39,840 |
| Idaho | $39,460 |
| New Mexico | $38,840 |
| Louisiana | $38,150 |
| Arkansas | $37,680 |
| West Virginia | $37,330 |
| Utah | $37,320 |
| Alabama | $37,280 |
| Mississippi | $37,130 |
| Virgin Islands | $36,350 |
| Guam | $35,640 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,690 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Dental Assistants broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $69,670 |
| Home Health Care Services | $59,630 |
| Grantmaking and Giving Services | $55,680 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $54,870 |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $54,870 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $54,510 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $53,710 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $53,710 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $53,710 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $53,620 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $53,620 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $53,470 |
| Finance and Insurance | $53,430 |
| Junior Colleges | $53,100 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $52,380 |
| Hospitals | $52,180 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $51,450 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $50,910 |
| Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | $50,560 |
| Miscellaneous Manufacturing | $50,560 |
| Manufacturing | $50,560 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $49,950 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $49,950 |
| Employment Services | $49,300 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $49,220 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $49,220 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $49,140 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $49,030 |
| Office Administrative Services | $49,030 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $48,780 |
| Technical and Trade Schools | $48,530 |
| Temporary Help Services | $48,160 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $47,840 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $47,840 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $47,840 |
| Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers | $47,720 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | $47,580 |
| Educational Services | $47,470 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $47,410 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $47,370 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $47,260 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $47,250 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | $47,250 |
| Offices of Dentists | $47,250 |
| Educational Services | $47,000 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $46,870 |
| All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $46,660 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $46,660 |
| Offices of Physicians | $46,170 |
| Social Assistance | $44,990 |
| Facilities Support Services | $44,720 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations | $44,370 |
| Individual and Family Services | $43,980 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $38,410 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $36,000 |
| Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | $35,970 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $47,300 |
| 2023 | $46,540 |
| 2022 | $44,820 |
| 2021 | $38,660 |
| 2020 | $41,180 |
| 2019 | $40,080 |
| 2018 | $38,660 |
| 2017 | $37,630 |
| 2016 | $36,940 |
| 2015 | $35,980 |
| 2014 | $35,390 |