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How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make?
A dental assistant in the US earns a median salary of $48,070 a year, or $23.11 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $50,200, and the middle half earn between $44,340 and $58,090.
Dental assistant pay range
What dental assistants earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $37,130 | $17.85 | |
| 25th | $44,340 | $21.32 | |
| Median (50th) | $48,070 | $23.11 | |
| 75th | $58,090 | $27.93 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $62,250 | $29.93 |
The median is 6% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 387,790 people work as dental assistants in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $924
- Every two weeks
- $1,849
- Twice a month
- $2,003
- A month
- $4,006
At the median salary, before tax.
Dental assistant salary by state
Sorted by average pay. Minnesota pays dental assistants the most, at $64,740 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $64,740 | $65,270 | 5,980 | After tax |
| District of Columbia | $63,360 | $60,580 | 630 | After tax |
| Oregon | $60,110 | $59,490 | 5,930 | After tax |
| New Hampshire | $57,200 | $59,530 | 1,600 | After tax |
| Maine | $57,140 | $60,070 | 1,550 | After tax |
| Washington | $56,680 | $58,090 | 13,050 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $56,640 | $57,980 | 9,680 | After tax |
| North Dakota | $56,450 | $57,770 | 860 | After tax |
| Alaska | $55,220 | $57,710 | 1,140 | After tax |
| California | $54,710 | $50,110 | 56,220 | After tax |
| Vermont | $54,550 | $52,760 | 580 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $53,970 | $56,850 | 3,840 | After tax |
| New Jersey | $52,940 | $49,390 | 9,990 | After tax |
| Rhode Island | $52,790 | $50,150 | 1,050 | After tax |
| Ohio | $52,370 | $47,970 | 12,150 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $51,510 | $50,380 | 11,450 | After tax |
| Maryland | $50,720 | $48,620 | 6,560 | After tax |
| Indiana | $50,480 | $48,670 | 6,690 | After tax |
| Iowa | $50,450 | $48,430 | 3,210 | After tax |
| Arizona | $50,280 | $49,000 | 8,680 | After tax |
| Colorado | $50,230 | $48,340 | 8,360 | After tax |
| South Dakota | $50,170 | $47,900 | 1,290 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $50,130 | $47,930 | 12,080 | After tax |
| New York | $49,820 | $48,110 | 19,800 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $49,670 | $46,720 | 7,420 | After tax |
| Michigan | $49,650 | $48,820 | 11,990 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $49,150 | $47,520 | 7,760 | After tax |
| Illinois | $48,990 | $48,610 | 13,740 | After tax |
| Florida | $48,500 | $47,620 | 26,620 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $48,440 | $47,730 | 4,530 | After tax |
| Delaware | $47,520 | $47,600 | 990 | After tax |
| Virginia | $47,490 | $46,670 | 10,760 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $47,310 | $47,320 | 5,530 | After tax |
| Idaho | $47,250 | $45,880 | 2,680 | After tax |
| Montana | $47,180 | $46,680 | 1,450 | After tax |
| Georgia | $46,870 | $46,840 | 10,540 | After tax |
| Missouri | $46,790 | $45,970 | 6,760 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $46,430 | $46,660 | 2,520 | After tax |
| Nevada | $45,880 | $47,110 | 4,230 | After tax |
| New Mexico | $45,130 | $44,400 | 2,150 | After tax |
| Texas | $44,830 | $45,430 | 33,230 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $44,790 | $45,740 | 4,550 | After tax |
| Wyoming | $44,100 | $44,990 | 630 | After tax |
| Hawaii | $43,180 | $44,720 | 1,960 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $42,910 | $39,160 | 3,080 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $42,540 | $44,090 | 4,540 | After tax |
| Arkansas | $42,130 | $42,830 | 2,950 | After tax |
| Alabama | $41,710 | $39,080 | 3,740 | After tax |
| Guam | $41,500 | $40,280 | 110 | |
| West Virginia | $41,280 | $37,960 | 1,290 | After tax |
| Utah | $40,550 | $37,760 | 6,640 | After tax |
| Virgin Islands | $37,110 | $36,540 | 70 | |
| Puerto Rico | $36,870 | $35,910 | 3,210 |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other healthcare support jobs
- Home health and personal care aide $35,800 median
- Nursing assistant $42,260 median
- Medical assistant $45,690 median
- Phlebotomist $45,230 median
- Veterinary assistant and laboratory animal caretaker $38,150 median
- Physical therapist assistant $68,380 median
- Massage therapist $58,450 median
- Medical equipment preparer $47,700 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Dental Assistants” (SOC 31-9091). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make an hour?
The median hourly wage for a dental assistant is $23.11, and the average is $24.13. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $17.85 an hour and the top 10% over $29.93.
How much does a dental assistant make a month?
At the median salary of $48,070, a dental assistant earns about $4,006 a month before tax, or $1,849 every two weeks.
Which state pays dental assistants the most?
Minnesota has the highest average pay for a dental assistant, at $64,740 a year. Next are District of Columbia and Oregon. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for a dental assistant?
The lowest-paid 10% of dental assistants earn less than $37,130 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $44,340. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid dental assistants make?
The top 10% earn more than $62,250 a year, and the top 25% more than $58,090.
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