There were nearly 363,900 dental assistants working in the U.S. as of May 2022 according to data released recently 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, 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 2022, the BLS estimated that the national mean wage for dental assistants was $44,710 per year. Pay for the profession varies considerably from state to state, with dental assistants in some states making significantly more than what their professional peers made elsewhere. As of May 2022, according to BLS data the ten states with the best annual mean salary for dental assistants were:
| Minnesota | $58,890 |
| District of Columbia | $52,820 |
| Delaware | $52,500 |
| Alaska | $52,430 |
| Massachusetts | $52,200 |
| Oregon | $51,990 |
| Vermont | $51,460 |
| North Dakota | $51,370 |
| Washington | $50,430 |
| New Hampshire | $50,220 |
At the other end of the spectrum, the bottom ten states for dental assistant pay were:
| Hawaii | $39,590 |
| Texas | $39,170 |
| Kansas | $39,000 |
| Idaho | $38,840 |
| Alabama | $37,720 |
| West Virginia | $37,510 |
| Utah | $37,080 |
| Mississippi | $36,960 |
| Arkansas | $36,570 |
| Louisiana | $36,180 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on April 26, 2023
