There were just over 347,000 dental assistants working in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The vast majority of dental assistants work in dental offices, but small numbers may be found working with employment agencies, in physician offices, and in outpatient care centers. While dental assistants must possess some technical understanding, their duties are generally administrative in nature and do not require the kind of advanced skills or training required in many other healthcare occupations. Dental assistants, on average, earn lower salaries than workers in most other occupations. As of May 2021, the BLS estimated that the national mean wage for dental assistants was $42,510 per year. Pay for the profession varies considerably from state to state, with dental assistants in some states making 50% more than what their professional peers made elsewhere. As of May 2021, according to BLS data the ten states with the best annual mean salary for dental assistants were:
| Minnesota | $53,080 |
| Massachusett | $51,210 |
| Alaska | $50,640 |
| New Hampshire | $49,470 |
| Oregon | $48,780 |
| North Dakota | $47,780 |
| Washington | $46,350 |
| Connecticut | $46,130 |
| Rhode Island | $46,070 |
| California | $46,060 |
At the other end of the spectrum, the bottom ten states for dental assistant pay were:
| Nevada | $38,020 |
| Hawaii | $37,860 |
| New Mexico | $37,790 |
| West Virginia | $36,830 |
| Idaho | $36,250 |
| Mississippi | $36,170 |
| Alabama | $35,760 |
| Utah | $35,210 |
| Arkansas | $34,930 |
| Louisiana | $33,560 |
So where does your state rank for dental assistant pay?
Check out Dental Assistant Average Wages by State for more information.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on July 23, 2022
