Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech Salary in the United States

How much does a Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech in the United States is $74,712 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $36.

However, a Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $90,404
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $69,306 to $82,926
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $64,385
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View as table View as graph 25% $69,306 10% $64,385 90% $90,404 75% $82,926 $74,712 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $82,926 $6,910 $1,595 $40
Average $74,712 $6,226 $1,437 $36
25th Percentile $69,306 $5,776 $1,333 $33
Check out Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech Job Openings in the United States
Dental Lab Tech

North American Dental Group - Youngstown, OH

Dental lab tech

I & Y Dental Studio Inc - Solon, OH

Licensed Dental Assistant

Chester Creek Dental - DULUTH, MN

Licensed Dental Assistant

OMS Specialists - BLAINE, MN

Search More Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech Salaries

A Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech'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 Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech'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): $72,376
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $72,534
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $74,712
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $78,094
  • Expert (over 8 years): $78,336
Levels Salary
Entry Level Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech$72,376
Intermediate Level Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech$72,534
Senior Level Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech$74,712
Specialist Level Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech$78,094
Expert Level Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech$78,336
$72,376 0 yr
$72,534 < 2 yrs
$74,712 2-4 yrs
$78,094 5-8 yrs
$78,336 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech 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 Dental Assistant Sterilization Teches. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $82,721.
  • California: $82,407.
  • Massachusetts: $81,309.

Top Paying Cities for Dental Assistant Sterilization Teches

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: $94,234
  • San Francisco: $93,202
  • Oakland: $91,238

What Skills Can Increase a Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 8.72% 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.
  • HIPAA (Mentioned in 5.39% Job Postings): The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge.
  • Infection Control (Mentioned in 2.75% Job Postings): Infection control is the discipline concerned with preventing nosocomial or healthcare-associated infection, a practical (rather than academic) sub-discipline of epidemiology. It is an essential, though often underrecognized and undersupported, part of the infrastructure of health care. Infection control and hospital epidemiology are akin to public health practice, practiced within the confines of a particular health-care delivery system rather than directed at society as a whole. Anti-infective agents include antibiotics, antibacterials, antifungals, antivirals and antiprotozoals. Infection control addresses factors related to the spread of infections within the healthcare setting (whether patient-to-patient, from patients to staff and from staff to patients, or among-staff), including prevention (via hand hygiene/hand washing, cleaning/disinfection/sterilization, vaccination, surveillance), monitoring/investigation of demonstrated or suspected spread of infection within a particular health-care setting (surveillance and outbreak investigation), and management (interruption of outbreaks). It is on this basis that the common title being adopted within health care is "infection prevention and control."
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 8.72%
HIPAA 5.39%
Infection Control 2.75%
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 Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech's salary.
  • Supply Chain: Can increase your salary by up to 38%.
  • Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
  • CPR: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Supply Chain
$103,102
38%
Collaboration
$85,919
15%
CPR
$84,424
13%
Self Care
$84,424
13%
Patient Care
$82,930
11%
Dental Care
$82,930
11%
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How Education impacts a Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Dental Assistant Sterilization Teches enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate 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 Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $79,179 and $84,529).

Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.2%
High School 6.3%
Associates 61.5%
Bachelors 30.2%
Masters 1.4%
Doctorate 0.3%
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Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech'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.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech

Salaries for a Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $59,607 in 2023 to around $59,369 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$59,607
2024
$59,757
2025
$59,369
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $59,607
2024 $59,757
2025 $59,369
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech

Here are companies hiring for Dental Assistant Sterilization Tech and their salaries, click below for more details.

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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