LIVE22,538 Dental Assistant postings analyzed
22,538 jobs analyzed

Dental Assistant salary:
$22.50/hr

The median Dental Assistant salary is $22.50 per hour, or $46,800 per year, based on 22,538 job postings across 103 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.

$22.50

Median hourly

$46,800

Annual salary

$19-$29

Pay range

103

States tracked

Data from 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30Source: active healthcare job postings and listed pay ranges

Salary guide

What should a Dental Assistant make in 2026?

A typical Dental Assistant earns $22.50/hr, with most posted roles landing between $20.50 and $25.50/hr.

Recent posted pay is steady, with the last 30 days showing 0% movement versus the prior period.

Location matters: Hadley, MASSACHUSETTS is currently among the highest-paying cities, while Tomball, TEXAS sits near the lower end.

Pay range

Most Dental Assistant roles cluster between $20.50 and $25.50/hr.

The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.

Lower endTypical marketTop end
$18.50$22.50 median$28.50

Entry / low

$18.50

$38,480/yr

Median

$22.50

$46,800/yr

Top earners

$28.50

$59,280/yr

BY LOCATION

Dental Assistant salary by state

See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.

ALAlabama
$18.00/hr
102 postings34 companies
AKAlaska
$26.00/hr
29 postings16 companies
AZArizona
$21.50/hr
425 postings178 companies
ARArkansas
$18.50/hr
58 postings30 companies
CACalifornia
$25.00/hr
2,630 postings1201 companies
COColorado
$24.50/hr
588 postings206 companies
CTConnecticut
$24.50/hr
273 postings105 companies
DEDelaware
$23.00/hr
20 postings18 companies
DCDistrict Of Columbia
$25.50/hr
32 postings21 companies
FLFlorida
$21.50/hr
1,454 postings589 companies
GAGeorgia
$21.00/hr
382 postings133 companies
HIHawaii
$20.50/hr
46 postings35 companies
IDIdaho
$21.00/hr
85 postings43 companies
ILIllinois
$21.00/hr
696 postings299 companies
INIndiana
$23.50/hr
349 postings121 companies

BY CITY

Top paying cities for Dental Assistants

See which cities offer the highest and lowest Dental Assistant salaries.

Top paying cities for Dental Assistants

Hadley

Massachusetts · 13 postings

$34.00/hr

San Mateo

California · 21 postings

$34.00/hr

Bristol

Connecticut · 11 postings

$32.50/hr

Saint Paul

Minnesota · 21 postings

$32.50/hr

Fargo

North Dakota · 10 postings

$32.00/hr

Lower paying cities for Dental Assistants

Tomball

Texas · 11 postings

$16.00/hr

Brooklyn

Ohio · 10 postings

$16.00/hr

Macedonia

Ohio · 12 postings

$16.00/hr

Delaware

Ohio · 14 postings

$16.00/hr

Seguin

Texas · 11 postings

$16.50/hr

BY EMPLOYER

Dental Assistant salary by employer

See which companies pay the most and least for Dental Assistant positions.

Top paying employers for Dental Assistants

Nuvia Dental Implant Center

67 postings

$34.50/hr

La Clínica

17 postings

$34.50/hr

Captain Dental

6 postings

$33.75/hr

Sfdental

6 postings

$33.75/hr

Braces Bar

6 postings

$33.25/hr

Lower paying employers for Dental Assistants

Family Care Dental

5 postings

$16.00/hr

Sa Family Dentist

6 postings

$17.00/hr

Affordable Dentist Near Me

12 postings

$17.00/hr

Augusta University

5 postings

$17.00/hr

Charm Dental

5 postings

$17.50/hr

RELATED POSITIONS

Similar Dental Assistant job titles and pay

Dental Assistant$22.00/hr
10,388 postings$45,760/yr
Dental Assistant - Entry Level$19.00/hr
1,091 postings$39,520/yr
Dental Assistant - Oral Surgery$24.00/hr
555 postings$49,920/yr
Dental Assistant - Expanded Functions$21.50/hr
419 postings$44,720/yr
Dental Assistant - Endodontist$25.00/hr
376 postings$52,000/yr
Certified Dental Assistant$24.00/hr
123 postings$49,920/yr
Dental Assistant Ii$23.50/hr
95 postings$48,880/yr
Dental Assistant Instructor$26.75/hr
44 postings$55,640/yr

PAY FACTORS

What affects Dental Assistant pay

How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Dental Assistant salaries.

By Shift Type

am29
$28.46

By Contract Length

By Employment Type

fulltime18,591
$22.50
parttime2,615
$23.00
Not Specified864
$23.00
travel175
$25.50
contract118
$27.75
per diem37
$25.50

FAQ

Common questions about Dental Assistant pay

What is the average Dental Assistant salary?

The median Dental Assistant salary is $22.50 per hour, or $46,800 annually. Pay ranges from $18.50/hr (10th percentile) to $28.50/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.

Which states pay Dental Assistants the most?

Based on 22,538 job postings, the highest paying states for Dental Assistants include Minnesota, Oregon, North Dakota. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.

How many Dental Assistant jobs are available?

There are currently 22,538 Dental Assistant job postings across 103 states, from 8162 different healthcare employers.

What factors affect Dental Assistant pay?

Dental Assistant pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.

Is Dental Assistant pay going up or down?

Dental Assistant pay is currently stable. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates remained stable.

What is the highest paying Dental Assistant specialty?

Dental Assistant pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $3.00 to $6.00 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.

Do Dental Assistants get paid more in cities or rural areas?

Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like Hadley offer $34.00/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $16.00/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.

How much do entry-level Dental Assistants make?

Entry-level Dental Assistants typically earn around $18.50 to $20.50 per hour ($38,480 to $42,640 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $22.50/hr.

DATA METHOD

How this salary page is calculated

Source

Based on 22,538 active postings with listed compensation for Dental Assistant. We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.

Range

Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.

Freshness

Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.

TR

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