In the medical profession, more and more people are studying to become dental assistants due to its high level of personal satisfaction and great career outlook. Employment for dental assistants is expected to grow much faster than the average occupation. This is due to the growth in population and greater demand for dental care. Also, as the workload for dentist increases, they are more likely to take on dental assistants to handle basic tasks so more time is left for complex procedures such as replacing cavities or root canal surgery. Opportunities are plentiful for entry level as well as experienced candidates. If you are thinking about pursing this as a career, it is important to consider the salary of dental assistant. The national annual average salary of a dental assistant is $34,000 and the average dental assistant salary per hour is $16.35. However, the exact number that one can expect for dental assistant salaries is complicated since there are several factors involved. Dental assistant pay is mainly dependent on several considerations including location, work experience, education, and skills.
Dental Assistant Income by Location
The location of the job plays a vital part in determining dental assistant wages. Many people believe that the highest paying jobs are located in states with large populations such as California and New York. However, this is not always the case. Salary by location is driven largely by supply and demand. Some less desirable places like Alaska with labor shortages will often pay a higher salary.
Salary Dental Assistant with Education
Those that have specialized training such as oral surgery or periodontics can lead to higher demand and better salaries. In addition, being x ray certified will increase a dental assistant’s salary.
Salary of a Dental Assistant with Work Experience
Work experience a great way to sell yourself for the job. Dental assistants with work experience require less training and that means more salary negotiating power than those without on the job training.
Skills that can Increase your Salary
Dental assistants with experience using digital software have an edge over the others. Many dental offices look for those who are accustomed to using the major brands of software and don’t require lots of training. Dental assistants who are can speak another language besides English also tend to make significantly more in certain areas that require it.
Dental Assistant Salary by State
- dental assistant salary in ALABAMA AL $28,590
- dental assistant salary in ALASKA AK $43,670
- dental assistant salary in ARIZONA AZ $35,020
- dental assistant salary in ARKANSAS AR $27,580
- dental assistant salary in CALIFORNIA CA $35,290
- dental assistant salary in COLORADO CO $36,730
- dental assistant salary in CONNECTICUT CT $39,660
- dental assistant salary in DELAWARE DE $37,480
- dental assistant salary in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DC $45,630
- dental assistant salary in FLORIDA FL $33,840
- dental assistant salary in GEORGIA GA $34,010
- dental assistant salary in Guam $25,870
- dental assistant salary in HAWAII HI $30,140
- dental assistant salary in IDAHO ID $29,020
- dental assistant salary in ILLINOIS IL $33,440
- dental assistant salary in INDIANA IN $34,270
- dental assistant salary in IOWA IA $33,070
- dental assistant salary in KANSAS KS $33,110
- dental assistant salary in KENTUCKY KY $31,600
- dental assistant salary in LOUISIANA LA $27,980
- dental assistant salary in MAINE ME $35,570
- dental assistant salary in MARYLAND MD $35,170
- dental assistant salary in MASSACHUSETTS MA $40,730
- dental assistant salary in MICHIGAN MI $34,210
- dental assistant salary in MINNESOTA MN $41,510
- dental assistant salary in MISSISSIPPI MS $26,750
- dental assistant salary in MISSOURI MO $33,740
- dental assistant salary in MONTANA MT $30,450
- dental assistant salary in NEBRASKA NE $29,120
- dental assistant salary in NEVADA NV $31,650
- dental assistant salary in NEW HAMPSHIRE NH $40,910
- dental assistant salary in NEW JERSEY NJ $37,020
- dental assistant salary in NEW MEXICO NM $31,190
- dental assistant salary in NEW YORK NY $33,990
- dental assistant salary in NORTH CAROLINA NC $35,090
- dental assistant salary in NORTH DAKOTA ND $32,670
- dental assistant salary in OHIO OH $32,330
- dental assistant salary in OKLAHOMA OK $29,480
- dental assistant salary in OREGON OR $37,430
- dental assistant salary in PENNSYLVANIA PA $31,870
- dental assistant salary in PUERTO RICO PR $16,410
- dental assistant salary in RHODE ISLAND RI $34,590
- dental assistant salary in SOUTH CAROLINA SC $31,920
- dental assistant salary in SOUTH DAKOTA SD $29,790
- dental assistant salary in TENNESSEE TN $31,690
- dental assistant salary in TEXAS TX $31,100
- dental assistant salary in UTAH UT $27,970
- dental assistant salary in VERMONT VT $35,730
- dental assistant salary in Virgin Islands $28,550
- dental assistant salary in VIRGINIA VA $34,730
- dental assistant salary in WASHINGTON WA $37,480
- dental assistant salary in WEST VIRGINIA WV $24,790
- dental assistant salary in WISCONSIN WI $33,650
- dental assistant salary in WYOMING WY $28,900
How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make an Hour
| Area name | Hourly mean wage |
|---|---|
|
Alabama |
$13.75 |
|
Alaska |
$20.99 |
|
Arizona |
$16.84 |
|
Arkansas |
$13.26 |
|
California |
$16.97 |
|
Colorado |
$17.66 |
|
Connecticut |
$19.07 |
|
Delaware |
$18.02 |
|
District of Columbia |
$21.94 |
|
Florida |
$16.27 |
|
Georgia |
$16.35 |
|
Guam |
$12.44 |
|
Hawaii |
$14.49 |
|
Idaho |
$13.95 |
|
Illinois |
$16.08 |
|
Indiana |
$16.48 |
|
Iowa |
$15.90 |
|
Kansas |
$15.92 |
|
Kentucky |
$15.19 |
|
Louisiana |
$13.45 |
|
Maine |
$17.10 |
|
Maryland |
$16.91 |
|
Massachusetts |
$19.58 |
|
Michigan |
$16.45 |
|
Minnesota |
$19.96 |
|
Mississippi |
$12.86 |
|
Missouri |
$16.22 |
|
Montana |
$14.64 |
|
Nebraska |
$14.00 |
|
Nevada |
$15.22 |
|
New Hampshire |
$19.67 |
|
New Jersey |
$17.80 |
|
New Mexico |
$15.00 |
|
New York |
$16.34 |
|
North Carolina |
$16.87 |
|
North Dakota |
$15.71 |
|
Ohio |
$15.54 |
|
Oklahoma |
$14.17 |
|
Oregon |
$17.99 |
|
Pennsylvania |
$15.32 |
|
Puerto Rico |
$7.89 |
|
Rhode Island |
$16.63 |
|
South Carolina |
$15.35 |
|
South Dakota |
$14.32 |
|
Tennessee |
$15.23 |
|
Texas |
$14.95 |
|
Utah |
$13.45 |
|
Vermont |
$17.18 |
|
Virgin Islands |
$13.73 |
|
Virginia |
$16.70 |
|
Washington |
$18.02 |
|
West Virginia |
$11.92 |
|
Wisconsin |
$16.18 |
|
Wyoming |
$13.90 |
Additional Resource to Find Data on Dental Assistant Salary – http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes319091.htm
Terms associated with this article:
certified dental assistant salary, dental assistant income, dental assistant pay, dental assistant salaries, dental assistant salary, dental assistant salary by state, dental assistant salary in arizona, dental assistant salary in florida, dental assistant salary in georgia, dental assistant salary in michigan, dental assistant salary in pa, dental assistant salary in texas, dental assistant salary in virginia, dental assistant salary per hour, dental assistant wages, dental assistants salary, how much does a dental assistant make, how much does a dental assistant make an hour, registered dental assistant salary, registered dental assistant salary in california, salary dental assistant, salary for dental assistant, salary of a dental assistant, salary of dental assistant