Pay by state / Dental assistants
SOC 31-9091 · BLS OEWS May 2025 · 50 states published
Dental assistants: salary by state
The 387,790 dental assistants in the US earned a mean of $50,200 a year in May 2025 (median $48,070); the lowest-paid tenth earned under $37,130 and the highest-paid tenth over $62,250. By state, the mean ran from $40,550 in Utah to $64,740 in Minnesota.
- 1US mean wage $50,200
- 2Highest: Minnesota $64,740
- 3Lowest: Utah $40,550
- 4Employed nationally 387,790
Where the jobs are
Relative to all jobs, dental assistants are most concentrated in Utah (3.828 per 1,000 jobs) and least in District of Columbia (0.897). Dental assistants are the largest dental occupation, and their pay sets much of a practice's staffing cost.
| State | Employed | Per 1,000 jobs | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3,740 | 1.769 | $41,710 | $39,080 |
| Alaska | 1,140 | 3.495 | $55,220 | $57,710 |
| Arizona | 8,680 | 2.68 | $50,280 | $49,000 |
| Arkansas | 2,950 | 2.26 | $42,130 | $42,830 |
| California | 56,220 | 3.087 | $54,710 | $50,110 |
| Colorado | 8,360 | 2.908 | $50,230 | $48,340 |
| Connecticut | 3,840 | 2.263 | $53,970 | $56,850 |
| Delaware | 990 | 2.037 | $47,520 | $47,600 |
| District of Columbia | 630 | 0.897 | $63,360 | $60,580 |
| Florida | 26,620 | 2.681 | $48,500 | $47,620 |
| Georgia | 10,540 | 2.156 | $46,870 | $46,840 |
| Hawaii | 1,960 | 3.119 | $43,180 | $44,720 |
| Idaho | 2,680 | 3.12 | $47,250 | $45,880 |
| Illinois | 13,740 | 2.252 | $48,990 | $48,610 |
| Indiana | 6,690 | 2.089 | $50,480 | $48,670 |
| Iowa | 3,210 | 2.058 | $50,450 | $48,430 |
| Kentucky | 4,530 | 2.264 | $48,440 | $47,730 |
| Louisiana | 4,540 | 2.347 | $42,540 | $44,090 |
| Maine | 1,550 | 2.421 | $57,140 | $60,070 |
| Maryland | 6,560 | 2.373 | $50,720 | $48,620 |
| Massachusetts | 9,680 | 2.66 | $56,640 | $57,980 |
| Michigan | 11,990 | 2.723 | $49,650 | $48,820 |
| Minnesota | 5,980 | 2.026 | $64,740 | $65,270 |
| Mississippi | 3,080 | 2.651 | $42,910 | $39,160 |
| Missouri | 6,760 | 2.303 | $46,790 | $45,970 |
| Montana | 1,450 | 2.839 | $47,180 | $46,680 |
| Nebraska | 2,520 | 2.457 | $46,430 | $46,660 |
| Nevada | 4,230 | 2.724 | $45,880 | $47,110 |
| New Hampshire | 1,600 | 2.337 | $57,200 | $59,530 |
| New Jersey | 9,990 | 2.331 | $52,940 | $49,390 |
| New Mexico | 2,150 | 2.466 | $45,130 | $44,400 |
| New York | 19,800 | 2.043 | $49,820 | $48,110 |
| North Carolina | 11,450 | 2.317 | $51,510 | $50,380 |
| North Dakota | 860 | 1.996 | $56,450 | $57,770 |
| Ohio | 12,150 | 2.19 | $52,370 | $47,970 |
| Oklahoma | 4,550 | 2.662 | $44,790 | $45,740 |
| Oregon | 5,930 | 3.012 | $60,110 | $59,490 |
| Pennsylvania | 12,080 | 1.992 | $50,130 | $47,930 |
| Rhode Island | 1,050 | 2.095 | $52,790 | $50,150 |
| South Carolina | 5,530 | 2.398 | $47,310 | $47,320 |
| South Dakota | 1,290 | 2.829 | $50,170 | $47,900 |
| Tennessee | 7,420 | 2.263 | $49,670 | $46,720 |
| Texas | 33,230 | 2.362 | $44,830 | $45,430 |
| Utah | 6,640 | 3.828 | $40,550 | $37,760 |
| Vermont | 580 | 1.909 | $54,550 | $52,760 |
| Virginia | 10,760 | 2.619 | $47,490 | $46,670 |
| Washington | 13,050 | 3.676 | $56,680 | $58,090 |
| West Virginia | 1,290 | 1.836 | $41,280 | $37,960 |
| Wisconsin | 7,760 | 2.637 | $49,150 | $47,520 |
| Wyoming | 630 | 2.255 | $44,100 | $44,990 |
“–” = not published by BLS for that state (too few to estimate or confidential); “top-coded” = above the highest wage BLS publishes.
What it means for patients
Staff pay is one of the largest costs in a dental or orthodontic practice, alongside rent and equipment, so treatment fees tend to be higher where wages are. It is a tendency, not a rule: two practices in the same town can quote very differently. Use these figures for context and the calculator for your actual quote.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state and national files). Checked 2026-10-24. Methodology.