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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

31-9091 Dental Assistants

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.


National estimates for Dental Assistants
Industry profile for Dental Assistants
Geographic profile for Dental Assistants

National estimates for Dental Assistants:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Dental Assistants:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
363,880 1.0 % $ 21.50 $ 44,710 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Dental Assistants:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 15.12 $ 17.75 $ 21.55 $ 23.50 $ 28.46
Annual Wage (2) $ 31,450 $ 36,910 $ 44,820 $ 48,870 $ 59,200


Industry profile for Dental Assistants:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Dental Assistants are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Dental Assistants, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Dental Assistants:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Dentists 332,540 33.03 $ 21.46 $ 44,640
Outpatient Care Centers 6,420 0.63 $ 21.84 $ 45,420
Offices of Physicians 6,410 0.23 $ 20.52 $ 42,680
Employment Services 4,870 0.12 $ 22.02 $ 45,790
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 3,550 0.17 $ 22.90 $ 47,630

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Dental Assistants:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Dentists 332,540 33.03 $ 21.46 $ 44,640
Outpatient Care Centers 6,420 0.63 $ 21.84 $ 45,420
Offices of Physicians 6,410 0.23 $ 20.52 $ 42,680
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 3,550 0.17 $ 22.90 $ 47,630
Employment Services 4,870 0.12 $ 22.02 $ 45,790

Top paying industries for Dental Assistants:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Home Health Care Services (8) (8) $ 26.03 $ 54,140
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 1,130 0.05 $ 25.31 $ 52,640
Management of Companies and Enterprises (8) (8) $ 25.01 $ 52,020
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 110 0.04 $ 24.48 $ 50,920
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 2,150 0.04 $ 23.75 $ 49,410


Geographic profile for Dental Assistants:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Dental Assistants are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Dental Assistants, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of dental assistants by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Dental Assistants:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 55,360 3.14 1.28 $ 23.55 $ 48,990
Texas 32,360 2.49 1.01 $ 18.83 $ 39,170
Florida 22,670 2.46 1.00 $ 20.51 $ 42,650
New York 19,040 2.09 0.85 $ 23.02 $ 47,880
Illinois 12,940 2.20 0.89 $ 19.85 $ 41,290


Map of location quotient of dental assistants by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Dental Assistants:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Utah 5,920 3.64 1.48 $ 17.83 $ 37,080
Idaho 2,820 3.53 1.44 $ 18.68 $ 38,840
Alaska 1,080 3.52 1.43 $ 25.21 $ 52,430
Washington 11,290 3.32 1.35 $ 24.24 $ 50,430
California 55,360 3.14 1.28 $ 23.55 $ 48,990


Map of annual mean wages of dental assistants by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Dental Assistants:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Minnesota 5,890 2.08 0.85 $ 28.31 $ 58,890
District of Columbia 660 0.95 0.39 $ 25.39 $ 52,820
Delaware 900 1.97 0.80 $ 25.24 $ 52,500
Alaska 1,080 3.52 1.43 $ 25.21 $ 52,430
Massachusetts 9,650 2.71 1.10 $ 25.10 $ 52,200



Map of employment of dental assistants by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Dental Assistants:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 20,750 2.26 0.92 $ 23.35 $ 48,570
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 20,160 3.31 1.34 $ 21.16 $ 44,020
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 10,550 2.77 1.13 $ 19.84 $ 41,270
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 10,220 2.32 0.94 $ 20.35 $ 42,320
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 8,080 3.08 1.25 $ 19.72 $ 41,020
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 7,720 2.53 1.03 $ 18.79 $ 39,080
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 7,330 2.71 1.10 $ 25.51 $ 53,060
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 6,760 2.48 1.01 $ 20.50 $ 42,630
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 6,610 2.98 1.21 $ 21.94 $ 45,620
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 6,520 2.15 0.88 $ 23.28 $ 48,430


Map of location quotient of dental assistants by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Dental Assistants:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Provo-Orem, UT 1,730 6.07 2.47 $ 17.52 $ 36,430
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 320 5.97 2.43 $ 19.71 $ 41,000
Sherman-Denison, TX 260 5.50 2.24 $ 17.23 $ 35,840
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 450 4.92 2.00 $ 23.54 $ 48,950
St. George, UT 380 4.75 1.93 $ 16.80 $ 34,940
Fayetteville, NC 610 4.74 1.93 $ 20.01 $ 41,610
Modesto, CA 900 4.71 1.92 $ 22.36 $ 46,500
Dalton, GA 300 4.69 1.90 $ 18.96 $ 39,430
Pocatello, ID 170 4.64 1.89 $ 17.21 $ 35,790
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 200 4.62 1.88 $ 24.64 $ 51,240


Map of annual mean wages of dental assistants by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Dental Assistants:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 5,550 2.32 0.94 $ 30.21 $ 62,830
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 3,700 3.29 1.34 $ 29.39 $ 61,130
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 3,930 2.09 0.85 $ 29.34 $ 61,020
Santa Rosa, CA 680 3.33 1.35 $ 27.28 $ 56,750
Rochester, MN 350 2.94 1.19 $ 27.17 $ 56,510
Mankato-North Mankato, MN 110 2.10 0.85 $ 26.67 $ 55,470
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 530 2.56 1.04 $ 26.37 $ 54,850
St. Cloud, MN 240 2.38 0.97 $ 26.30 $ 54,710
Bismarck, ND 190 2.64 1.07 $ 26.04 $ 54,170
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 250 2.12 0.86 $ 25.99 $ 54,050

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Dental Assistants:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 830 2.17 0.88 $ 17.11 $ 35,590
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 620 2.47 1.00 $ 21.15 $ 43,990
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 600 4.99 2.03 $ 19.81 $ 41,200
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 590 1.84 0.75 $ 20.58 $ 42,810
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 570 2.52 1.02 $ 16.63 $ 34,580

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Dental Assistants:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 600 4.99 2.03 $ 19.81 $ 41,200
East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 540 4.66 1.90 $ 18.87 $ 39,260
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 370 4.00 1.62 $ 20.29 $ 42,190
Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area 250 3.95 1.60 $ 23.30 $ 48,470
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 240 3.94 1.60 $ 25.19 $ 52,400

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Dental Assistants:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 250 1.71 0.69 $ 26.55 $ 55,230
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 310 3.07 1.25 $ 26.17 $ 54,440
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 450 2.40 0.97 $ 25.75 $ 53,560
Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 90 2.21 0.90 $ 25.67 $ 53,380
Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 270 2.33 0.95 $ 25.39 $ 52,800


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023