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Occupational Employment Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2017

31-9091 Dental Assistants

Assist dentist, set up equipment, prepare patient for treatment, and keep records.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
337,160 0.9 % $18.60 $38,690 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.58 $14.98 $18.09 $22.11 $25.54
Annual Wage (2) $26,170 $31,160 $37,630 $46,000 $53,130

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Dentists 305,150 32.74 $18.59 $38,680
Offices of Physicians 7,130 0.28 $17.43 $36,250
Outpatient Care Centers 5,180 0.59 $18.55 $38,590
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 3,870 0.19 $20.01 $41,630
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 3,800 0.13 $18.99 $39,500

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Dentists 305,150 32.74 $18.59 $38,680
Outpatient Care Centers 5,180 0.59 $18.55 $38,590
Offices of Physicians 7,130 0.28 $17.43 $36,250
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 3,870 0.19 $20.01 $41,630
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 3,800 0.13 $18.99 $39,500

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Home Health Care Services (8) (8) $20.96 $43,600
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 100 0.04 $20.68 $43,010
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 1,370 0.06 $20.60 $42,850
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 110 0.04 $20.03 $41,670
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 3,870 0.19 $20.01 $41,630

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

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





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 50,100 3.00 1.27 $19.20 $39,930
Texas 29,790 2.50 1.06 $17.27 $35,920
New York 20,370 2.21 0.94 $17.87 $37,170
Florida 19,040 2.26 0.96 $18.23 $37,920
Illinois 12,710 2.14 0.91 $18.76 $39,030




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 1,300 4.09 1.73 $22.07 $45,900
Utah 5,220 3.70 1.57 $14.55 $30,270
New Mexico 2,740 3.42 1.45 $16.77 $34,880
Washington 10,580 3.32 1.40 $20.45 $42,540
Idaho 2,210 3.22 1.36 $16.64 $34,620




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 640 0.90 0.38 $23.66 $49,210
Minnesota 5,630 1.98 0.84 $23.45 $48,770
New Hampshire 1,310 2.02 0.85 $22.68 $47,170
Alaska 1,300 4.09 1.73 $22.07 $45,900
North Dakota 730 1.74 0.74 $21.93 $45,600



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Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 15,170 2.27 0.96 $18.16 $37,780
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 11,540 2.61 1.10 $17.72 $36,860
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 7,690 2.10 0.89 $19.33 $40,220
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 7,090 2.42 1.02 $17.09 $35,540
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 6,650 2.67 1.13 $18.75 $39,010
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 6,400 2.44 1.03 $18.55 $38,570
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 5,460 3.38 1.43 $17.80 $37,020
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 4,940 1.96 0.83 $22.41 $46,610
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 4,910 2.48 1.05 $19.64 $40,840
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 4,830 3.37 1.42 $16.61 $34,550


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Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Farmington, NM 260 5.42 2.29 $18.66 $38,800
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 260 5.39 2.28 $17.59 $36,580
Logan, UT-ID 290 5.30 2.24 $13.52 $28,120
Grants Pass, OR 130 5.14 2.17 $19.34 $40,220
Ogden-Clearfield, UT 1,180 4.73 2.00 $15.49 $32,220
Redding, CA 310 4.72 2.00 $17.81 $37,050
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 410 4.71 1.99 $20.82 $43,310
Yakima, WA 420 4.64 1.96 $18.05 $37,550