Dental assistants make an average annual salary of about $34,500 nationwide, according to US Labor Bureau statistics.
Figures tend to vary by region and industry, with the highest-paid dental assistants earning over $47,580, and the lowest-paid earning around $23,550 annually. (See: dental assistant job description.)
The five highest-paying states for dental assistants are:
|
State |
Salary |
| New Hampshire |
$43,480
|
| Minnesota |
$42,420
|
| Alaska |
$41,970
|
| District of Columbia |
$41,730
|
| Massachusetts |
$41,290
|
Here are the average salaries for dental assistants in each state:
| State | Salary | State | Salary |
| Alabama | $29,550 | Nebraska | $32,130 |
| Alaska | $41,970 | Nevada | $37,290 |
| Arizona | $34,980 | New Hampshire | $43,480 |
| Arkansas | $28,590 | New Jersey | $38,690 |
| California | $36,660 | New Mexico | $32,190 |
| Colorado | $37,590 | New York | $35,540 |
| Connecticut | $40,680 | North Carolina | $37,280 |
| Delaware | $33,460 | North Dakota | $35,120 |
| District of Columbia | $41,730 | Ohio | $33,980 |
| Florida | $33,890 | Oklahoma | $29,680 |
| Georgia | $34,820 | Oregon | $39,500 |
| Hawaii | $32,740 | Pennsylvania | $32,850 |
| Idaho | $31,480 | Rhode Island | $35,710 |
| Illinois | $32,890 | South Carolina | $33,890 |
| Indiana | $35,230 | South Dakota | $29,590 |
| Iowa | $35,780 | Tennessee | $33,160 |
| Kansas | $31,650 | Texas | $32,700 |
| Kentucky | $31,310 | Utah | $27,460 |
| Louisiana | $29,460 | Vermont | $37,560 |
| Maine | $37,780 | Virginia | $36,200 |
| Maryland | $36,860 | Washington | $39,430 |
| Massachusetts | $41,290 | West Virginia | $27,170 |
| Michigan | $33,730 | Wisconsin | $35,070 |
| Minnesota | $42,420 | Wyoming | $33,550 |
| Mississippi | $29,710 | ||
| Missouri | $33,790 | ||
| Montana | $31,190 |
All figures courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Employment & Wages database.
