How much does a DDS Dental Assistant make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a DDS Dental Assistant in the United States is $42,100 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $20.
However, a DDS Dental Assistant's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $50,872
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $37,989 to $46,691
Key Factors That Influence DDS Dental Assistant Salaries
A DDS Dental Assistant's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects DDS Dental Assistant Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a DDS Dental Assistant's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $41,020
Early Career (1-2 years): $41,897
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $43,788
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $43,990
Expert (over 8 years): $44,125
Levels
Salary
Entry Level DDS Dental Assistant
$41,020
Intermediate Level DDS Dental Assistant
$41,897
Senior Level DDS Dental Assistant
$43,788
Specialist Level DDS Dental Assistant
$43,990
Expert Level DDS Dental Assistant
$44,125
$41,0200 yr
$41,897< 2 yrs
$43,7882-4 yrs
$43,9905-8 yrs
$44,125> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do DDS Dental Assistant Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract DDS Dental Assistants.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $46,613.
California: $46,436.
Massachusetts: $45,817.
District of Columbia$46,613
California$46,436
Massachusetts$45,817
Washington$45,648
New Jersey$45,632
Alaska$45,573
Connecticut$44,992
New York$44,756
Hawaii$44,002
Rhode Island$43,649
Maryland$43,409
Minnesota$43,080
Colorado$42,954
Illinois$42,912
Oregon$42,752
Delaware$42,634
New Hampshire$42,560
Virginia$42,394
Pennsylvania$41,910
Nevada$41,666
North Dakota$41,586
Michigan$41,460
Wisconsin$41,413
Vermont$41,321
Texas$41,064
Maine$41,047
Arizona$41,022
Ohio$40,992
Georgia$40,605
Indiana$40,411
Wyoming$40,373
Utah$40,314
Iowa$40,289
Kansas$40,087
Louisiana$40,028
North Carolina$40,007
Missouri$39,999
Florida$39,835
Montana$39,746
Nebraska$39,662
Kentucky$39,616
South Carolina$39,447
Tennessee$39,342
Idaho$39,300
New Mexico$38,993
Oklahoma$38,925
Alabama$38,677
South Dakota$38,260
Arkansas$38,033
West Virginia$37,911
Mississippi$37,544
Top Paying Cities for DDS Dental Assistants
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $53,100
San Francisco: $52,519
Oakland: $51,412
San Jose, CA$53,100
San Francisco, CA$52,519
Oakland, CA$51,412
New York, NY$48,473
Paramus, NJ$47,884
Queens Village, NY$47,881
Passaic, NJ$47,841
Bergenfield, NJ$47,838
Stamford, CT$47,745
Huntington, NY$47,728
Newark, NJ$47,417
Bridgeport, CT$47,328
Vallejo, CA$47,244
New Brunswick, NJ$47,227
Petaluma, CA$47,202
Middlesex, NJ$47,122
Somerset, NJ$47,093
Santa Cruz, CA$47,038
Boston, MA$46,781
Monterey, CA$46,633
Seattle, WA$46,537
Santa Rosa, CA$46,528
Los Angeles, CA$46,516
Juneau, AK$46,406
Washington, DC$46,360
Orange, CA$46,210
Santa Ana, CA$46,099
Long Beach, CA$46,057
Anaheim, CA$46,048
Anchorage, AK$46,027
Santa Maria, CA$45,901
Everett, WA$45,893
Danbury, CT$45,744
Bremerton, WA$45,686
Tacoma, WA$45,535
New Suffolk, NY$45,534
Sacramento, CA$45,522
Santa Barbara, CA$45,476
Trenton, NJ$45,430
San Diego, CA$45,430
Brockton, MA$45,383
Fairbanks, AK$45,280
Lompoc, CA$45,173
Lowell, MA$45,139
Ventura, CA$45,131
Nashua, NH$45,122
Stockton, CA$45,118
Modesto, CA$44,811
Poughkeepsie, NY$44,718
Olympia, WA$44,638
Kennewick, WA$44,638
New Haven, CT$44,621
Lawrence, MA$44,470
Hartford, CT$44,428
Riverside, CA$44,419
New Bedford, MA$44,377
Richland, WA$44,377
Bakersfield, CA$44,318
San Bernardino, CA$44,301
New Britain, CT$44,297
Atlantic City, NJ$44,297
New London, CT$44,280
Norwich, CT$44,268
Portsmouth, NH$44,259
Boulder, CO$44,170
Portland, OR$44,112
Worcester, MA$44,108
Minneapolis, MN$43,977
Philadelphia, PA$43,918
Honolulu, HI$43,779
Saint Paul, MN$43,759
Vineland, NJ$43,750
Providence, RI$43,628
Chicago, IL$43,506
Bellingham, WA$43,455
Springfield, MA$43,421
Baltimore, MD$43,409
Chico, CA$43,304
Pittsfield, MA$43,190
Manchester, NH$43,110
Spokane, WA$42,925
Denver, CO$42,920
Albany, NY$42,723
Troy, NY$42,706
Nassau, NY$42,661
Schenectady, NY$42,617
Wilmington, DE$42,584
Burlington, VT$42,525
Salem, OR$42,508
Portland, ME$42,377
Yakima, WA$42,335
Rochester, MN$42,205
Reno, NV$42,184
Fresno, CA$42,184
Milwaukee, WI$42,146
Detroit, MI$42,104
Ann Arbor, MI$42,097
Allentown, PA$42,091
Colorado Springs, CO$42,020
Syracuse, NY$41,998
Carson City, NV$41,998
Houston, TX$41,940
Eugene, OR$41,918
Gary, IN$41,868
Springfield, OR$41,834
Bismarck, ND$41,826
Galveston, TX$41,796
Medford, OR$41,733
Fort Collins, CO$41,716
Concord, NH$41,695
Austin, TX$41,683
Mesa, AZ$41,594
Reading, PA$41,590
Phoenix, AZ$41,586
Dallas, TX$41,573
Saint Cloud, MN$41,533
Madison, WI$41,476
Utica, NY$41,363
Rochester, NY$41,295
Des Moines, IA$41,291
Raleigh, NC$41,287
Atlanta, GA$41,224
Battle Creek, MI$41,211
Salt Lake City, UT$41,199
Lancaster, PA$41,135
Harrisburg, PA$41,076
Kansas City, MO$41,034
Champaign, IL$41,026
Kansas City, KS$41,026
Fort Worth, TX$41,022
Columbus, OH$41,015
Boca Raton, FL$41,005
Pittsburgh, PA$40,988
Richmond, VA$40,971
Indianapolis, IN$40,963
Cleveland, OH$40,959
Las Vegas, NV$40,908
Cincinnati, OH$40,908
Petersburg, VA$40,845
Huntsville, AL$40,782
Lansing, MI$40,754
Lebanon, PA$40,748
Pueblo, CO$40,744
Appleton, WI$40,731
Buffalo, NY$40,714
Dayton, OH$40,702
Racine, WI$40,693
Charlotte, NC$40,689
Saint Louis, MO$40,677
York, PA$40,651
Elkhart, IN$40,651
Gastonia, NC$40,643
Billings, MT$40,633
Beaumont, TX$40,622
Lorain, OH$40,613
Benton Harbor, MI$40,605
Toledo, OH$40,597
Binghamton, NY$40,575
Rock Hill, SC$40,571
Rockford, IL$40,550
Springfield, IL$40,533
Elyria, OH$40,529
Fargo, ND$40,529
Flagstaff, AZ$40,500
Fort Lauderdale, FL$40,474
Duluth, MN$40,449
Miami, FL$40,449
Cheyenne, WY$40,420
Grand Forks, ND$40,420
Bangor, ME$40,327
Cedar Rapids, IA$40,281
Durham, NC$40,263
Louisville, KY$40,260
Grand Rapids, MI$40,251
Hialeah, FL$40,247
Casper, WY$40,188
Scranton, PA$40,138
New Orleans, LA$40,125
Virginia Beach, VA$40,121
Akron, OH$40,100
Peoria, IL$40,045
Sarasota, FL$40,037
Nashville, TN$40,007
Omaha, NE$40,007
Green Bay, WI$40,007
Baton Rouge, LA$39,986
Charleston, SC$39,978
Jamestown, NY$39,957
Davenport, IA$39,957
Tucson, AZ$39,936
Saint Petersburg, FL$39,910
Tampa, FL$39,902
Evansville, IN$39,877
Port Arthur, TX$39,877
Bradenton, FL$39,860
Santa Fe, NM$39,784
Orlando, FL$39,708
Clearwater, FL$39,696
Canton, OH$39,607
La Crosse, WI$39,607
Albuquerque, NM$39,582
Newport News, VA$39,578
High Point, NC$39,565
Ogden, UT$39,548
Corpus Christi, TX$39,515
Norfolk, VA$39,489
Laramie, WY$39,489
Rock Island, IL$39,464
Saginaw, MI$39,456
Jacksonville, FL$39,451
Salisbury, NC$39,443
Boise, ID$39,435
Moline, IL$39,414
Fort Myers, FL$39,401
Memphis, TN$39,393
Tulsa, OK$39,371
Waterloo, IA$39,346
Spartanburg, SC$39,304
Lincoln, NE$39,283
Fort Wayne, IN$39,275
Provo, UT$39,270
Cedar Falls, IA$39,220
San Antonio, TX$39,203
Greensboro, NC$39,186
South Bend, IN$39,182
Savannah, GA$39,136
Muskegon, MI$39,119
Birmingham, AL$39,115
Winston Salem, NC$39,094
Lake Charles, LA$38,993
Anderson, IN$38,984
Lexington, KY$38,972
Augusta, GA$38,959
Greenville, SC$38,959
Lima, OH$38,925
Wichita, KS$38,921
Tuscaloosa, AL$38,921
Columbia, SC$38,883
Springfield, OH$38,875
Asheville, NC$38,807
Bloomington, IN$38,778
Knoxville, TN$38,626
Shreveport, LA$38,622
Wilmington, NC$38,567
Roanoke, VA$38,567
Topeka, KS$38,492
Frankfort, KY$38,487
Oklahoma City, OK$38,458
Chillicothe, OH$38,441
Longview, TX$38,437
Melbourne, FL$38,433
Sioux Falls, SD$38,365
Mobile, AL$38,361
Terre Haute, IN$38,344
Altoona, PA$38,319
Amarillo, TX$38,289
Killeen, TX$38,277
Fayetteville, AR$38,243
Chattanooga, TN$38,231
Sioux City, IA$38,193
Idaho Falls, ID$38,184
Lynchburg, VA$38,151
Gainesville, FL$38,096
Portsmouth, OH$38,075
Little Rock, AR$38,066
Lafayette, LA$38,050
Youngstown, OH$38,050
Daytona Beach, FL$38,024
Clarksville, TN$38,020
Pensacola, FL$38,016
Temple, TX$38,013
Hopkinsville, KY$37,890
Erie, PA$37,881
Florence, SC$37,864
Charleston, WV$37,797
Great Falls, MT$37,776
Macon, GA$37,717
Tallahassee, FL$37,713
Fayetteville, NC$37,704
Waco, TX$37,696
Helena, MT$37,666
Pine Bluff, AR$37,650
Vincennes, IN$37,599
Lubbock, TX$37,582
Alamogordo, NM$37,557
Twin Falls, ID$37,519
Rapid City, SD$37,506
Jackson, MS$37,431
Huntington, WV$37,428
Greenville, MS$37,426
Parkersburg, WV$37,384
Montgomery, AL$37,376
Wichita Falls, TX$37,334
Springfield, MO$37,334
Biloxi, MS$37,313
Monroe, LA$37,271
Johnstown, PA$37,241
Sumter, SC$37,224
Columbus, GA$37,220
Pascagoula, MS$37,140
Abilene, TX$37,140
Kingsport, TN$37,031
Albany, GA$37,031
Gulfport, MS$37,018
Alexandria, LA$36,879
Fort Smith, AR$36,774
El Paso, TX$36,660
Las Cruces, NM$36,471
Harlingen, TX$36,364
Pocatello, ID$36,357
Florence, AL$36,302
Brownsville, TX$36,294
Mcallen, TX$36,206
Dothan, AL$36,147
Columbus, MS$35,897
Altus, OK$35,700
Lawton, OK$35,620
Pierre, SD$35,469
What Skills Can Increase a DDS Dental Assistant's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 8.41% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
CPR (Mentioned in 6.09% Job Postings): Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) combines rescue breathing (mouth-to-mouth) and chest compressions to temporarily pump enough blood to the brain until specialized treatment is available.
Front Office (Mentioned in 2.38% Job Postings): The front office represents the customer-facing division of a firm. For example, customer service, sales, and industry experts who provide advisory services are considered part of a firm's front office operations.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Customer Service
8.41%
CPR
6.09%
Front Office
2.38%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a DDS Dental Assistant's salary.
Clinical Support: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Clinical Care: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Clinical Support
$45,888
9%
Clinical Care
$44,625
6%
Leadership
$44,204
5%
Presentation
$43,362
3%
Collaboration
$42,941
2%
HIPAA
$42,941
2%
Get Latest Data
DDS Dental Assistant Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For DDS Dental Assistant roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit,
offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely,
DDS Dental Assistant positions in Healthcare typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view DDS Dental Assistant as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a DDS Dental Assistant
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
$50,519
$24.0
20%
How Education impacts a DDS Dental Assistant's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many DDS Dental Assistants enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a DDS Dental Assistant with a Associate's Degree is between
$45,040
and $47,788).
Understanding how a DDS Dental Assistant's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a DDS Dental Assistant can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $44,763 in 2023
to around $44,543 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of DDS Dental Assistant salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of DDS Dental Assistant Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$44,763
2024
$44,727
2025
$44,543
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$44,763
2024
$44,727
2025
$44,543
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for DDS Dental Assistant
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
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Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for DDS Dental Assistant
Here are companies hiring for DDS Dental Assistant and their salaries, click below for more details.
N
$97,099/per year
New York Police Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$95,962/per year
State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$94,615/per year
US Department of Transportation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$93,141/per year
US General Services Administration
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$92,342/per year
Los Angeles County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
D
$92,011/per year
Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,967/per year
US Department of Commerce
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,755/per year
US Department of Energy
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
F
$91,673/per year
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$90,276/per year
Naval Sea Systems Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,975/per year
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$88,721/per year
San Diego County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,664/per year
The TTB
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$87,569/per year
Lutheran Services
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
M
$85,066/per year
Maryland Inc
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$83,780/per year
State University of New York
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$82,969/per year
New York State
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
P
$82,703/per year
Puerto Rico Department of Education
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$80,526/per year
US Central Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
H
$80,286/per year
Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$79,270/per year
Air Force Reserve
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$78,505/per year
American Automobile Association (AAA)
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$76,678/per year
State of Florida - Department of Health
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$75,183/per year
New York State Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$75,106/per year
State University System of Florida
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
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