SOC 31-9091 · Healthcare Support Occupations

Dental Assistants wages by metro

National median annual wage

$48,070

10th percentile: $37,130
25th percentile: $44,340
Median: $48,070
75th percentile: $58,090
90th percentile: $62,250
Mean: $50,200

Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.

National employment in May 2025: 387,790.

That median is 5.7% lower than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.

The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.

An auto mechanic working on a car engine — An auto mechanic working on an engine. Photograph by Okpashira. Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Highest published medians

Metros with the highest published annual medians for Dental Assistants.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	2,870	$55,670	$74,600	$81,710
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	3,910	$46,920	$72,370	$76,280
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	7,530	$47,800	$64,390	$80,660
Rochester, MN	320	$46,090	$63,450	$74,510
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	7,100	$48,900	$62,040	$72,060
Portland-South Portland, ME	830	$49,160	$61,240	$62,660
Mankato, MN	120	$47,120	$61,010	$72,330
St. Cloud, MN	270	$49,140	$61,000	$72,480
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	680	$46,160	$60,590	$78,240
Napa, CA	230	$47,280	$60,270	$74,760
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	4,120	$47,290	$59,890	$76,040
Manchester-Nashua, NH	600	$47,720	$59,700	$61,400
Bend, OR	420	$43,900	$59,590	$73,030
Duluth, MN-WI	310	$45,550	$59,390	$70,710
Salem, OR	570	$49,040	$59,210	$71,750
Vallejo, CA	630	$45,400	$59,000	$77,300
Bismarck, ND	210	$46,130	$58,960	$74,680
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	1,250	$37,000	$58,930	$62,000
Boulder, CO	520	$46,530	$58,760	$73,010
Raleigh-Cary, NC	1,850	$40,410	$58,750	$64,390

Where employment is largest

Metros with the most Dental Assistants jobs in the May 2025 tables.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	21,090	$38,050	$46,900	$58,900
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	20,870	$36,410	$48,430	$62,780
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	10,490	$38,950	$48,950	$61,150
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	9,180	$37,720	$47,860	$58,880
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	9,010	$36,820	$47,570	$58,710
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	8,440	$37,870	$47,540	$62,790
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	8,150	$30,540	$43,730	$55,160
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	7,530	$47,800	$64,390	$80,660
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	7,190	$47,780	$58,160	$72,780
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	7,100	$48,900	$62,040	$72,060
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	6,700	$37,800	$47,210	$57,780
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	6,510	$40,040	$49,570	$69,250
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	6,270	$40,420	$49,760	$59,380
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	6,030	$37,010	$50,110	$58,660
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	5,240	$40,210	$48,500	$58,590
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	4,260	$38,700	$58,120	$63,070
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	4,160	$38,870	$49,490	$60,780
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	4,120	$47,290	$59,890	$76,040
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	3,910	$46,920	$72,370	$76,280
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	3,820	$36,960	$45,920	$49,120

States and territories

State estimates for Dental Assistants, May 2025.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
Minnesota	5,980	$46,960	$65,270	$76,110
District of Columbia	630	$47,530	$60,580	$74,960
Maine	1,550	$47,290	$60,070	$62,660
New Hampshire	1,600	$47,820	$59,530	$64,360
Oregon	5,930	$49,010	$59,490	$75,570
Washington	13,050	$46,280	$58,090	$68,230
Massachusetts	9,680	$47,270	$57,980	$72,790
North Dakota	860	$43,680	$57,770	$72,710
Alaska	1,140	$40,300	$57,710	$62,780
Connecticut	3,840	$38,630	$56,850	$60,900
Vermont	580	$45,260	$52,760	$66,410
North Carolina	11,450	$38,240	$50,380	$60,200
Rhode Island	1,050	$45,640	$50,150	$60,900
California	56,220	$38,790	$50,110	$73,700
New Jersey	9,990	$38,660	$49,390	$64,200
Arizona	8,680	$38,500	$49,000	$59,380
Michigan	11,990	$37,110	$48,820	$58,900
Indiana	6,690	$36,880	$48,670	$60,590
Maryland	6,560	$35,560	$48,620	$61,710
Illinois	13,740	$37,360	$48,610	$59,910
Iowa	3,210	$39,360	$48,430	$59,580
Colorado	8,360	$38,500	$48,340	$60,540
New York	19,800	$36,410	$48,110	$60,490
Ohio	12,150	$36,870	$47,970	$78,000
Pennsylvania	12,080	$38,040	$47,930	$61,430
South Dakota	1,290	$38,190	$47,900	$60,310
Kentucky	4,530	$35,600	$47,730	$62,050
Florida	26,620	$37,800	$47,620	$58,880
Delaware	990	$36,410	$47,600	$56,840
Wisconsin	7,760	$39,500	$47,520	$58,840
South Carolina	5,530	$37,070	$47,320	$58,480
Nevada	4,230	$36,870	$47,110	$56,700
Georgia	10,540	$36,410	$46,840	$57,710
Tennessee	7,420	$37,810	$46,720	$61,260
Montana	1,450	$37,340	$46,680	$57,900
Virginia	10,760	$37,720	$46,670	$58,910
Nebraska	2,520	$37,810	$46,660	$57,430
Missouri	6,760	$36,580	$45,970	$59,410
Idaho	2,680	$37,430	$45,880	$59,740
Oklahoma	4,550	$36,030	$45,740	$58,430
Texas	33,230	$35,400	$45,430	$57,640
Wyoming	630	$35,530	$44,990	$57,110
Hawaii	1,960	$31,540	$44,720	$50,340
New Mexico	2,150	$37,060	$44,400	$55,950
Louisiana	4,540	$31,050	$44,090	$49,640
Arkansas	2,950	$35,060	$42,830	$48,330
Guam	110	$28,260	$40,280	$59,960
Mississippi	3,080	$30,650	$39,160	$58,620
Alabama	3,740	$30,840	$39,080	$51,400
West Virginia	1,290	$31,760	$37,960	$52,630
Utah	6,640	$35,380	$37,760	$47,680
Virgin Islands	70	$30,160	$36,540	$48,900
Puerto Rico	3,210	$23,310	$35,910	$57,200

Other healthcare support occupations

Questions this page answers

What is the national median wage for Dental Assistants?

In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Dental Assistants is $48,070. Employment is 387,790.

How does Dental Assistants pay compare with all occupations?

The national median for Dental Assistants is 5.7% lower than the all-occupations median of $50,980.

Which metro has the highest published median for Dental Assistants?

Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is highest on this page's list at $74,600.