State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Dental Assistant Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Dental Assistants is $48,070 a year ($23.11/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 6.4% through 2034, with about 52,900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
SOC 31-9091Healthcare SupportLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $48,070
- Projected growth
- +6.4%
- Openings a year
- 52,900
- Typical education
- Certificate
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Certified Dental Assistant (CDA), Certified Registered Dental Assistant, Dental Assistant (DA), Expanded Dental Assistant, Expanded Duty Dental Assistant (EDDA), Expanded Functions Dental Assistant (EFDA).
How much do Dental Assistants make?
10th percentile$37,130
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$44,340
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$48,070
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$58,090
Upper quartile
90th percentile$62,250
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $48,070 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $23.11/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $50,200 |
| People employed | 387,790 |
Versus all US occupations
At $48,070, Dental Assistants earn 6% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $2,910 a year.
Versus healthcare support occupations
Inside the Healthcare Support group, where the middle occupation pays $44,910, this is 7% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $62,250 or more while the bottom 10% earn $37,130, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 24% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Minnesota pays the most at $65,270, and still leads at $66,183 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Dental Assistants the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $65,270 | $66,183 | 5,980 |
| District of Columbia | $60,580 | $55,122 | 630 |
| Maine | $60,070 | $61,896 | 1,550 |
| New Hampshire | $59,530 | $57,150 | 1,600 |
| Oregon | $59,490 | $57,556 | 5,930 |
| Washington | $58,090 | $54,283 | 13,050 |
| Massachusetts | $57,980 | $54,824 | 9,680 |
| North Dakota | $57,770 | $64,940 | 860 |
| Alaska | $57,710 | $56,380 | 1,140 |
| Connecticut | $56,850 | $54,869 | 3,840 |
Is Dental Assistant a growing career?
Dental Assistants6.4%
All US occupations3.1%
+6.4% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Dental Assistants to change 6.4% over 2024–2034, roughly 2.1× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 24,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 52,900 openings are projected each year, 13.9% of the 381,900 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Ongoing research linking oral health and general health will continue to increase demand for preventive dental services. Dentists will continue to hire dental assistants to complete routine tasks, allowing dentists to work more efficiently. As dental practices grow, more dental assistants will be needed.
More people continue to enter older age groups, which typically have more problems related to oral health than younger people do. In addition, people keep more of their original teeth now than in previous generations, leading to continued increases in the need for dental care to maintain and treat teeth.
How to become a Dental Assistant
There are several possible paths to becoming a dental assistant. Some states require assistants to graduate from an accredited program and pass an exam. In other states, there are no formal educational requirements, and dental assistants learn through on-the-job training.
| Typical entry-level education | Postsecondary nondegree award |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as dental assistants.
- Post-Secondary Certificate46.0%
- High School Diploma28.6%
- Some College Courses17.1%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)8.3%
What does a Dental Assistant do?
Perform limited clinical duties under the direction of a dentist. Clinical duties may include equipment preparation and sterilization, preparing patients for treatment, assisting the dentist during treatment, and providing patients with instructions for oral healthcare procedures. May perform administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes.
Dental assistants have many tasks, including patient care, recordkeeping, and appointment scheduling. Their duties vary by state and by the dentists’ offices in which they work.
Day-to-day tasks
- Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.
- Record treatment information in patient records.
- Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies.
- Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.
- Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.
- Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.
- Fabricate temporary restorations or custom impressions from preliminary impressions.
- Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where dental assistants work
| Offices of dentists | 90% |
|---|---|
| Offices of physicians | 2% |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 2% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Speaking3.4/5
- Reading Comprehension3.3/5
- Active Learning3.1/5
- Monitoring3.1/5
- Writing3.0/5
- Critical Thinking3.0/5
- Learning Strategies2.5/5
Transferable skills
- Social Perceptiveness3.1/5
- Instructing3.1/5
- Service Orientation3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0/5
- Coordination2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9/5
- Time Management2.8/5
- Operations Monitoring2.6/5
Tools and software
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Accounting software
- Electronic mail software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Dental Assistant?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary4.5
Investigative3.5
Artistic1.0
Socialprimary4.4
Enterprising1.3
Conventionalprimary5.4
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Dental Assistant: frequently asked questions
How much do Dental Assistants make?
Dental Assistants earn a median of $48,070 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 6% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $23.11/hr. The middle half earn between $44,340 and $58,090. The top 10% earn $62,250 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Dental Assistant?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialled training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or licence programme) as the typical entry route for Dental Assistants. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 46.0% hold post-secondary certificate.
Is Dental Assistant a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 6.4% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 52,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Dental Assistant do?
Dental assistants have many tasks, including patient care, recordkeeping, and appointment scheduling. A core O*NET task: prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures. Employers most often ask for Medical software, Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Dental Assistants the most?
The highest state medians for Dental Assistants are Minnesota ($65,270), District of Columbia ($60,580), Maine ($60,070) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Dental Assistant?
O*NET scores Dental Assistants highest on the Conventional, Realistic and Social interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISFJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.