As of May 2024, the most current date of occupational employment data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the BLS reported dental assistant employment in the United States at nearly 287,800. The five-state Rocky Mountain region accounted for over 11,400 of those dental assistant jobs. However, due to a statewide reporting error, Colorado’s employment and wage data were not available in the May 2024 BLS release. Historically, Colorado has been home to approximately 40% of the region’s dental assistants and has consistently recorded wage levels above the national average for the occupation.
In contrast, the available data show that Idaho and Utah—home to another 49% of the region’s dental assistants—ranked in the bottom ten nationally for dental assistant annual mean wages. A closer look at the May 2024 BLS data reveals the following details about dental assistant pay in the Rocky Mountain region:
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Dental Assistant Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region |
| State | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | Wage Rank* |
| CO | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| ID | 2,860 | $42,710 | 40th |
| MT | 1,540 | $45,930 | 33rd |
| UT | 6,310 | $40,260 | 47th |
| WY | 700 | $43,160 | 38th |
| U.S. | 287,780 | $48,225 | ------- |
(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on September 2, 2025
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ReplyDeleteInteresting breakdown! Utah and Idaho employ many dental assistants but Retro Bowl College rank near the bottom for pay, while Montana and Wyoming do a bit better but still trail the national average. Missing Colorado data leaves a big gap since it usually leads the region.
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