National Dental Assistant Pay Overview
Dental assistants are classified under SOC code 31-9091. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release, which is the most recent release published, national figures are as follows:
Median Annual Wage
$48,070
Mean Annual Wage
$50,200
Median Hourly Wage
$23.11
Total U.S. Employment
~387,790
The middle half of the profession earns between $44,340 (25th percentile) and $58,090 (75th percentile). The 10th percentile sits at $37,130 and the 90th at $62,250. Within the profession the spread is modest: the 90th percentile earns about 1.7 times the 10th, which is the same ratio dental hygienists show, but on a base almost twice as high.
Top 10 Highest-Paying States for Dental Assistants
The leaders here are not the states you might expect. Minnesota, the District of Columbia and Oregon are the only three jurisdictions where the mean annual wage clears $60,000, and the upper Midwest and northern New England are better represented than the traditionally high-wage Sun Belt markets:
| Rank | State | Mean Annual Wage | Mean Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $64,740 | $31.12 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $63,360 | $30.46 |
| 3 | Oregon | $60,110 | $28.90 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $57,200 | $27.50 |
| 5 | Maine | $57,140 | $27.47 |
| 6 | Washington | $56,680 | $27.25 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $56,640 | $27.23 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $56,450 | $27.14 |
| 9 | Alaska | $55,220 | $26.55 |
| 10 | California | $54,710 | $26.30 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. Figures are annual mean wages.
Top 10 Lowest-Paying States for Dental Assistants
The bottom of the table holds one genuine surprise. Hawaii appears here despite having one of the highest costs of living in the country, which means assistant pay there goes markedly less far than the raw number suggests. Utah sits lowest overall:
| Rank | State | Mean Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | $40,550 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $41,280 |
| 3 | Alabama | $41,710 |
| 4 | Arkansas | $42,130 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $42,540 |
| 6 | Mississippi | $42,910 |
| 7 | Hawaii | $43,180 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $44,100 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $44,790 |
| 10 | Texas | $44,830 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. Figures are annual mean wages.
Assistant Pay Varies Far Less by Geography Than Hygienist Pay
This is the most useful thing in the data for anyone hiring. The gap between the best and worst paying state for dental assistants is $24,190, a ratio of about 1.6 to 1. For dental hygienists the same gap is $70,680, a ratio of about 2.2 to 1.
In practical terms, moving states changes what you pay a hygienist a great deal and what you pay an assistant much less. If you are opening or relocating a practice, assistant wages are close to a fixed input while hygienist wages are a genuine variable in the model.
Nationally the two roles sit close to two to one: a mean of $98,990 for hygienists against $50,200 for assistants. Staff wages typically run 25 to 28 percent of collections, so the mix of hygienists to assistants is one of the larger levers on your overhead. Our dental overhead benchmarks guide sets out where staff costs should land, and the hygienist salary guide covers the other side of the comparison.
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Credentials and expanded functions
Certification and expanded functions qualifications let an assistant take on additional chairside duties, which raises what the role is worth to a practice. Permitted duties and the credentials required to perform them are set state by state, so the same certificate does not carry identical weight everywhere. Check your state dental board rather than assuming.
Practice setting
Specialty practices, particularly oral surgery and orthodontics, generally pay above general practice for assistants because the chairside skill required is higher and the production per chair is greater.
Local labour supply
The states at the top of the table are not uniformly the most expensive places to live. Minnesota and North Dakota rank highly while Hawaii and Texas do not, which points to how tight the local hiring market is rather than to cost of living alone.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) programme, May 2025 release, occupation code 31-9091. National figures are published medians and means. State figures are annual mean wages.
OEWS does not publish an estimate for every state in every occupation. Kansas is not included in the May 2025 dental assistant release, so the state tables cover 50 of the 51 jurisdictions. Hourly figures are derived from annual figures on the BLS convention of 2,080 hours per year.
Verify any figure at bls.gov/oes. Published August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average dental assistant salary?
The national median dental assistant wage is $48,070 per year, or $23.11 per hour, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. The mean is slightly higher at $50,200. The middle half of the profession earns between $44,340 and $58,090, and total United States employment is approximately 387,790.
Which state pays dental assistants the most?
Minnesota pays the most, at a mean annual wage of $64,740. The District of Columbia follows at $63,360 and Oregon at $60,110. These are the only three jurisdictions where the mean exceeds $60,000. This is a different geography from dental hygienists, where Washington and California lead.
Which state pays dental assistants the least?
Utah has the lowest mean annual wage at $40,550, followed by West Virginia at $41,280 and Alabama at $41,710. The gap between the highest and lowest state is about $24,190, which is a ratio of roughly 1.6 to 1.
How much more does a dental hygienist earn than a dental assistant?
Nationally the difference is close to two to one. The mean annual wage is $98,990 for dental hygienists and $50,200 for dental assistants, a ratio of about 1.97. That gap matters when you are modelling staffing costs, because staff wages typically account for 25 to 28 percent of collections in a dental practice.
Does certification increase dental assistant pay?
Generally yes, though the size of the effect varies by market. Credentials such as the Certified Dental Assistant designation and expanded functions qualifications let an assistant perform additional chairside duties, which raises the value of the role to the practice. Requirements and permitted duties are set state by state, so check your own state board before assuming a credential carries the same weight everywhere.
Abed Ismail
Abed Ismail is the founder of Dentx. He has spent more than 30 years building practical business technology, including over 20 years working across healthcare and 10 years leading IT and technology operations in the oil and gas industry. He works directly with every practice Dentx takes on.