Sort by any column. Employment is the number of dental assistants OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Dental Assistant Salary by State (2026)
Dental Assistants earn the most in Minnesota at $65,270 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $35,910 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $48,070. All 53 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $65,270
- National median
- $48,070
- Lowest median
- $35,910
- States reporting
- 53
Minnesota
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Dental Assistants
- 1. Minnesota$65,270 median · $66,183 adjusted · 5,980 employed
- 2. District of Columbia$60,580 median · $55,122 adjusted · 630 employed
- 3. Maine$60,070 median · $61,896 adjusted · 1,550 employed
- 4. New Hampshire$59,530 median · $57,150 adjusted · 1,600 employed
- 5. Oregon$59,490 median · $57,556 adjusted · 5,930 employed
Lowest-paying states for Dental Assistants
- 53. Puerto Rico$35,910 median · no price parity · 3,210 employed
- 52. U.S. Virgin Islands$36,540 median · no price parity · 70 employed
- 51. Utah$37,760 median · $38,194 adjusted · 6,640 employed
- 50. West Virginia$37,960 median · $42,415 adjusted · 1,290 employed
- 49. Alabama$39,080 median · $43,998 adjusted · 3,740 employed
Dental Assistant salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $65,270 | $59,940 | $74,410 | 5,980 | $66,183 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $60,580 | $58,590 | $74,220 | 630 | $55,122 |
| 3 | Maine | $60,070 | $49,250 | $61,510 | 1,550 | $61,896 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $59,530 | $49,260 | $61,160 | 1,600 | $57,150 |
| 5 | Oregon | $59,490 | $56,600 | $63,520 | 5,930 | $57,556 |
| 6 | Washington | $58,090 | $48,780 | $62,340 | 13,050 | $54,283 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $57,980 | $48,600 | $60,720 | 9,680 | $54,824 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $57,770 | $47,150 | $60,270 | 860 | $64,940 |
| 9 | Alaska | $57,710 | $47,480 | $61,370 | 1,140 | $56,380 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $56,850 | $48,360 | $59,650 | 3,840 | $54,869 |
| 11 | Vermont | $52,760 | $47,350 | $60,420 | 580 | $53,860 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $50,380 | $47,680 | $57,720 | 11,450 | $53,411 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $50,150 | $48,070 | $59,170 | 1,050 | $49,032 |
| 14 | California | $50,110 | $46,270 | $60,670 | 56,220 | $45,258 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $49,390 | $45,970 | $61,290 | 9,990 | $45,393 |
| 16 | Arizona | $49,000 | $46,050 | $57,880 | 8,680 | $48,671 |
| 17 | Michigan | $48,820 | $45,390 | $56,940 | 11,990 | $50,739 |
| 18 | Indiana | $48,670 | $45,860 | $57,720 | 6,690 | $52,149 |
| 19 | Maryland | $48,620 | $41,600 | $58,820 | 6,560 | $46,323 |
| 20 | Illinois | $48,610 | $40,390 | $56,860 | 13,740 | $48,630 |
| 21 | Iowa | $48,430 | $45,990 | $57,620 | 3,210 | $55,183 |
| 22 | Colorado | $48,340 | $45,520 | $58,340 | 8,360 | $46,908 |
| 23 | New York | $48,110 | $44,730 | $58,630 | 19,800 | $44,579 |
| 24 | Ohio | $47,970 | $42,660 | $59,520 | 12,150 | $51,706 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $47,930 | $45,620 | $56,840 | 12,080 | $49,123 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $47,900 | $47,060 | $57,890 | 1,290 | $54,072 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $47,730 | $42,400 | $56,760 | 4,530 | $52,940 |
| 28 | Florida | $47,620 | $45,120 | $54,690 | 26,620 | $46,048 |
| 29 | Delaware | $47,600 | $43,480 | $55,650 | 990 | $47,692 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $47,520 | $45,560 | $55,630 | 7,760 | $50,502 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $47,320 | $43,000 | $50,780 | 5,530 | $50,475 |
| 32 | Nevada | $47,110 | $37,760 | $48,450 | 4,230 | $47,120 |
| 33 | Georgia | $46,840 | $40,270 | $48,960 | 10,540 | $48,643 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $46,720 | $44,440 | $59,270 | 7,420 | $50,854 |
| 35 | Montana | $46,680 | $43,820 | $49,920 | 1,450 | $49,321 |
| 36 | Virginia | $46,670 | $39,160 | $53,040 | 10,760 | $46,160 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $46,660 | $43,590 | $49,370 | 2,520 | $51,785 |
| 38 | Missouri | $45,970 | $38,990 | $50,150 | 6,760 | $50,618 |
| 39 | Idaho | $45,880 | $39,800 | $57,690 | 2,680 | $48,045 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $45,740 | $37,210 | $47,990 | 4,550 | $52,070 |
| 41 | Texas | $45,430 | $37,360 | $48,280 | 33,230 | $46,808 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $44,990 | $36,460 | $48,490 | 630 | $48,538 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $44,720 | $37,580 | $48,120 | 1,960 | $40,673 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $44,400 | $38,300 | $47,160 | 2,150 | $48,150 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $44,090 | $36,590 | $46,630 | 4,540 | $49,985 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $42,830 | $36,790 | $46,730 | 2,950 | $49,266 |
| 47 | Guam | $40,280 | $35,590 | $43,420 | 110 | N/A |
| 48 | Mississippi | $39,160 | $36,240 | $47,450 | 3,080 | $45,036 |
| 49 | Alabama | $39,080 | $36,190 | $47,100 | 3,740 | $43,998 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $37,960 | $36,360 | $45,180 | 1,290 | $42,415 |
| 51 | Utah | $37,760 | $36,400 | $45,770 | 6,640 | $38,194 |
| 52 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $36,540 | $30,620 | $37,850 | 70 | N/A |
| 53 | Puerto Rico | $35,910 | $27,620 | $46,850 | 3,210 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Dental Assistants, that changes the ranking: Minnesota leads on raw pay at $65,270, while Minnesota leads once prices are taken into account at $66,183.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Dental Assistant pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Dental Assistants the most?
Minnesota reports the highest median wage for Dental Assistants at $65,270 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by District of Columbia ($60,580) and Maine ($60,070).
Which state pays Dental Assistants the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Dental Assistants at $35,910 a year, $29,360 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Dental Assistants earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Minnesota first at $66,183 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $65,270. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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