Dental Assistant Salary Guide: What Could You Earn?
Dental assistants are essential healthcare professionals who help keep dental practices running efficiently. It’s a hands-on career that allows you to be an important member of a dental practice. You prepare patients, support dentists, and handle administrative tasks to keep everything running smoothly. If you like being busy, helping others, and working as part of a team, building a career as a dental assistant provides many rewards. Check out our salary guide to better understand your earning potential, demand for your services, and growth opportunities.
What is the Salary Range for Dental Assistants in the United States?
The salary range for dental assistants in the United States varies based on where you live and work, the experience you have, and the type of dental assisting you practice. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for dental assistants was approximately $47,200 per year as of May 2024, while top earners can make more than $61,780 annually1. Your actual earnings can differ based on demand and regional economic conditions. As a dental assistant, you can increase your earnings through overtime pay and bonuses. Earning certifications may also help boost your pay. And your salary will be greatly affected by regional considerations.
What Regions Pay Well for Dental Assistants?
Cities and regions with higher populations and costs of living tend to offer dental assistants higher earning potential. States like New Jersey2 and Rhode Island3 offer salaries higher than the national average due to these factors, which make them quality areas to explore job options.
Even if you’re not located in one of the top-paying areas, many regions across the country offer competitive salaries for dental assistants—especially where demand is high.
What Factors Affect Dental Assistant Salaries?
Among the skills that might make you a more valuable job candidate for a dental assistant role are several patient care, technical, and administrative abilities. Skills with x-ray technology, lab equipment, teeth impressions, and patient record software are highly valued for dental assistants, so mastering them could put you at a competitive advantage in the job market and help you ask for better compensation. Some additional factors that can affect your salary as a dental assistant may include:
- Region/Area you live
- Specialty skills you obtain
- Whether you work full or part time
- Tenure and experience
- Type of facility you work at
- Overtime work
Where is the Most Demand for Dental Assistants?
If you want to find demand for dental assistants, go where there are plenty of dentists. The State of New York has a high demand for dental assistants, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a bright outlook for the occupation in that state until at least 20324. But employment of dental assistants is projected to grow nationwide throughout the decade5, with some states and regions seeing more growth opportunities than others. For example, New Jersey boasts projected growth numbers much higher than the national average6. This growth is driven by factors such as population, the need to replace workers in the profession currently, and the continued need for oral healthcare7.
What Career Growth is Available for Dental Assistants?
Dental assisting is a great entry point into the healthcare field, but it’s also a career with long-term potential. With the right experience and education, you can grow into more advanced roles, earn higher wages, or even transition into other areas of dentistry. In most cases, you can come across better opportunities if you can show your employer your dedication to the role. Training under an accredited program can give you the knowledge you need for certification exams.
What Certifications Do Dental Assistants Get?
While some states allow on-the-job training, most employers prefer or require dental assistants to complete formal training programs and earn certifications. Some expanded duties outside the normal scope of a dental assisting may require you to be licensed, registered or hold specific certifications from the Dental Assisting National Board. Some of these certifications include8:
- Certified Dental Assistant
- Certified Preventive Functions Dental Assistant
- Certified Restorative Functions Dental Assistant
- Certified in Dental Infection Prevention and Control
Dental Assistant Benefits
As you look through the listings of dental assistant jobs wherever you wish to work, it’s important to compare offers and find the best fit. You should always look for and ask about benefits, which can include health and life insurance, dental and vision coverage, paid time off, and potential employee discounts. Try to find employers who offer additional perks like tuition reimbursement for certifications, on-the-job training opportunities, and performance-based bonuses. These benefits can contribute to your overall earnings as well as your satisfaction at work.
Dental assisting is a stable and rewarding healthcare career with strong demand across the country. By understanding what affects salaries and the benefits available, as a new or experienced dental assistant, you can make an informed decision about your career. Once you are well trained to industry standards, consider the factors in this guide before you make your decision about where to work. Whether you’re new to the field or looking to take your experience to the next level, you can find opportunities to grow, specialize, and earn more.
1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm#tab-5. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
2 O*NET OnLine, Local wages for dental assistants in New Jersey. https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/31-9091.00?st=NJ. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
3 O*NET OnLine, Local wages for dental assistants in Rhode Island. https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/31-9091.00?st=RI. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
4 National Center for O*NET Development. New York Employment Trends: 31-9091.00 - Dental Assistants. O*NET OnLine. Retrieved June 11, 2025, from https://www.onetonline.org/link/localtrends/31-9091.00?st=NY.
5 Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm#tab-6. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
6 O*NET OnLine, https://www.onetonline.org/link/localtrends/31-9091.00?st=NJ. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
7 Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm#tab-4. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
8 Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) https://www.danb.org/certification/earn-dental-assistant-certification. Retrieved April 14, 2025.