Dental assistants

Detailed Occupation

Add Comparison

2022 Workforce

311k

Average Age

Estimated Job Growth

6.93%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$37,100

Average Male Salary

$65,544

Average Female Salary

$35,135

About

Dental assistants are most often employed by the Offices of dentists industry. The average yearly wage for Dental assistants was $37,100 in 2022.

The locations that employ the most Dental assistants are Brown County--Outer Ring of Green Bay City PUMA, WI, San Diego County (Southwest)--Sweetwater Region--Chula Vista City (East) PUMA, CA, and Westchester County (Southwest)--Yonkers City PUMA, NY. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Dental assistants are Doña Ana County (Outer) PUMA, NM, Los Angeles County (Southeast)--Norwalk City PUMA, CA, and Churchmans/New Castle PUMA, DE.

Photo by Germanna CC

Healthcare Support Occupations Service Occupations

Employment and salary information for the Dental assistants workforce. Dental assistants workforce in 2022 was 311,419 people, of which 93.5% were women and 6.46% were men. Dental assistants are paid most in Phoenix City (North) PUMA, AZ but are relatively concentrated in Doña Ana County (Outer) PUMA, NM.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

20,125

Male Workforce

± 3.48k

291,294

Female Workforce

± 13.2k

The Dental assistants workforce in 2022 was 311,419 people (93.5% women and 6.46% men). This implies an average annual growth of 10.2% between 2014 (282,559) and 2022 (311,419).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Dental assistants.

During 2022, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were District of Columbia ($49,740), New Hampshire ($43,084), and Oregon ($43,084).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$37,100

AVERAGE WAGE

#427 in the ranking (2022)

$64,683

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2022, Dental assistants earned an average of $37,100, $27,583 less than the average national salary of $64,683

The graph shows the ranking of Dental assistants in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2022.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.322

WAGE GINI

In 2022, Dental assistants had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.322, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Dental assistants (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Dental assistants compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Dental assistants and on wages for those in the field. Offices of dentists is the industry that employs the most Dental assistants, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Dental assistants, by average wage, is U. S. Army ($65,628).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

311k

2022 Workforce

± 13,687

1.71%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 6.14%

This graphic shows the share of Dental assistants employed by various industries. Offices of dentists employs the largest share of Dental assistants at 98.2%, followed by Outpatient care centers with 0.951% and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 0.843%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Dental assistants in the US. The workforce of Dental assistants in 2022 was 311,419 people, with 93.5% woman, and 6.46% men. The average age of male Dental assistants in the workforce is 35.2 and of female Dental assistants is 37.1, and the most common race/ethnicity for Dental assistants is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Dental assistants in 2022 was 311,419 people, with 93.5% woman, and 6.46% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 20 to 24 years (54,617 people), 25 to 29 years (53,406 people), and 30 to 34 years (42,055 people). Among them they concentrated 48.2% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2022, 28.8% of Dental assistants workers were Hispanic and 71.2% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (81%), Puerto Rican (13.2)%, and Cuban (5.81)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2022, 64.5% of the Dental assistants workforce were White, of which 95.6% were women and 4.36% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Two or More Races (10.7%) and Other (10.1%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Dental assistants from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Dental assistants is Health but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2022 were Science Technologies.

Among the necessary skills for Dental assistants, Active Listening stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Dental assistants need more than the average amount of Equipment Selection.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Dental assistants in 2022 (counting all academic degrees) were Health (9,260 people), Biology (5,021 people), and Business (4,667 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Dental assistants workers were Some college (121,361 people), High School or Equivalent (83,259 people), and Associates Degree (59,274 people).

The graphic shows the Dental assistants workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Dental assistants from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dental assistants need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Dental Assistants from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 2.84%, but Dental Assistants are expected to see a growth of 6.93% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

6.93%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

2.84%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Dental assistants. This profession is expected to grow more than than 2.84%, the average rate of national job growth.