Dental Assistant Salary: How Much Do Dental Assistants Make?
Median pay, percentiles and employment for dental assistants — nationally, in all 50 states, and by metro.
Short answer: the median dental assistant salary in the United States is $48,070 a year ($23.11 an hour). The middle of the market runs $44,340 to $58,090, and the 10th to 90th percentile spans $37,130 to $62,250. Location matters more than most people expect: the median is $65,270 in Minnesota and $37,760 in Utah — a $27,510 gap for the same job. About 387,790 people work as dental assistants nationally.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Public-domain federal data, surveyed from employers.
Dental Assistant salary by state
Annual wages for Dental Assistants (BLS occupation code 31-9091). Percentiles show the spread within each state.
| State | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $30,840 | $39,080 | $51,400 | 3,740 |
| Alaska | $40,300 | $57,710 | $62,780 | 1,140 |
| Arizona | $38,500 | $49,000 | $59,380 | 8,680 |
| Arkansas | $35,060 | $42,830 | $48,330 | 2,950 |
| California | $38,790 | $50,110 | $73,700 | 56,220 |
| Colorado | $38,500 | $48,340 | $60,540 | 8,360 |
| Connecticut | $38,630 | $56,850 | $60,900 | 3,840 |
| Delaware | $36,410 | $47,600 | $56,840 | 990 |
| District of Columbia | $47,530 | $60,580 | $74,960 | 630 |
| Florida | $37,800 | $47,620 | $58,880 | 26,620 |
| Georgia | $36,410 | $46,840 | $57,710 | 10,540 |
| Hawaii | $31,540 | $44,720 | $50,340 | 1,960 |
| Idaho | $37,430 | $45,880 | $59,740 | 2,680 |
| Illinois | $37,360 | $48,610 | $59,910 | 13,740 |
| Indiana | $36,880 | $48,670 | $60,590 | 6,690 |
| Iowa | $39,360 | $48,430 | $59,580 | 3,210 |
| Kentucky | $35,600 | $47,730 | $62,050 | 4,530 |
| Louisiana | $31,050 | $44,090 | $49,640 | 4,540 |
| Maine | $47,290 | $60,070 | $62,660 | 1,550 |
| Maryland | $35,560 | $48,620 | $61,710 | 6,560 |
| Massachusetts | $47,270 | $57,980 | $72,790 | 9,680 |
| Michigan | $37,110 | $48,820 | $58,900 | 11,990 |
| Minnesota | $46,960 | $65,270 | $76,110 | 5,980 |
| Mississippi | $30,650 | $39,160 | $58,620 | 3,080 |
| Missouri | $36,580 | $45,970 | $59,410 | 6,760 |
| Montana | $37,340 | $46,680 | $57,900 | 1,450 |
| Nebraska | $37,810 | $46,660 | $57,430 | 2,520 |
| Nevada | $36,870 | $47,110 | $56,700 | 4,230 |
| New Hampshire | $47,820 | $59,530 | $64,360 | 1,600 |
| New Jersey | $38,660 | $49,390 | $64,200 | 9,990 |
| New Mexico | $37,060 | $44,400 | $55,950 | 2,150 |
| New York | $36,410 | $48,110 | $60,490 | 19,800 |
| North Carolina | $38,240 | $50,380 | $60,200 | 11,450 |
| North Dakota | $43,680 | $57,770 | $72,710 | 860 |
| Ohio | $36,870 | $47,970 | $78,000 | 12,150 |
| Oklahoma | $36,030 | $45,740 | $58,430 | 4,550 |
| Oregon | $49,010 | $59,490 | $75,570 | 5,930 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,040 | $47,930 | $61,430 | 12,080 |
| Rhode Island | $45,640 | $50,150 | $60,900 | 1,050 |
| South Carolina | $37,070 | $47,320 | $58,480 | 5,530 |
| South Dakota | $38,190 | $47,900 | $60,310 | 1,290 |
| Tennessee | $37,810 | $46,720 | $61,260 | 7,420 |
| Texas | $35,400 | $45,430 | $57,640 | 33,230 |
| Utah | $35,380 | $37,760 | $47,680 | 6,640 |
| Vermont | $45,260 | $52,760 | $66,410 | 580 |
| Virginia | $37,720 | $46,670 | $58,910 | 10,760 |
| Washington | $46,280 | $58,090 | $68,230 | 13,050 |
| West Virginia | $31,760 | $37,960 | $52,630 | 1,290 |
| Wisconsin | $39,500 | $47,520 | $58,840 | 7,760 |
| Wyoming | $35,530 | $44,990 | $57,110 | 630 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. “Not released” means BLS suppressed the estimate, usually because the state sample was too small — this page shows that rather than guessing.
Highest-paying metro areas for dental assistants
| Metro area | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $74,600 | $81,710 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $72,370 | $76,280 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $64,390 | $80,660 |
| Rochester, MN | $63,450 | $74,510 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $62,040 | $72,060 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $61,240 | $62,660 |
| Mankato, MN | $61,010 | $72,330 |
| St. Cloud, MN | $61,000 | $72,480 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $60,590 | $78,240 |
| Napa, CA | $60,270 | $74,760 |
Top 10 of the 393 metro areas BLS publishes. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average dental assistant salary?
The median dental assistant salary in the United States is $48,070 a year as of May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Half of dental assistants earn more than that and half earn less. The 10th percentile is $37,130 and the 90th percentile is $62,250.
Which state pays dental assistants the most?
Minnesota, with a median of $65,270. The lowest of the states BLS publishes is Utah at $37,760, a gap of $27,510. Higher-paying states also tend to have higher housing costs, so compare take-home pay and rent rather than the headline figure alone.
How much do dental assistants make an hour?
The median hourly wage is $23.11 as of May 2025.
Is this data self-reported?
No. These figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, which collects wage data from employers rather than from workers submitting their own salaries. It is public-domain federal data.