Dental assistants

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

318k

Average Age

36.9

Estimated Job Growth

6.39%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$38,859

Average Male Salary

$68,717

Average Female Salary

$36,701

About

Dental assistants are most often employed by the Offices of dentists industry. The average yearly wage for Dental assistants was $38,859 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Dental assistants are Kern County (East)--Ridgecrest, Arvin, Tehachapi & California City Cities PUMA, CA, Doña Ana County (Outer) PUMA, NM, and Guilford County (North)--Summerfield Town PUMA, NC. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Dental assistants are Doña Ana County (Outer) PUMA, NM, St. Lucie County (Southwest) PUMA, FL, and Lane County (Outside Eugene & Springfield Cities) PUMA, OR.

Photo by Germanna CC

Healthcare Support Occupations Service Occupations

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Dental assistants workforce. Dental assistants workforce in 2024 was 317,606 people, of which 93.3% were women and 6.74% were men.

Dental assistants are paid most in Alameda County (Central)--Pleasanton & Dublin (West) Cities PUMA, CA but are relatively concentrated in Doña Ana County (Outer) PUMA, NM.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

21,405

Male Workforce

± 3.59k

296,201

Female Workforce

± 13.3k

The Dental assistants workforce in 2024 was 317,606 people (93.3% women and 6.74% men). This implies an average annual growth of 12.4% between 2014 (282,559) and 2024 (317,606).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

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

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were New Hampshire ($84,353), District of Columbia ($55,213), and Oregon ($45,985).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$38,859

AVERAGE WAGE

#390 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Dental assistants earned an average of $38,859, $31,019 less than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Dental assistants in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

In 2024, Dental assistants had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.327, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. 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 General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals ($65,668).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

318k

2024 Workforce

± 13,822

0.386%

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 97.6%, followed by Outpatient care centers with 0.886% and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 0.807%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Dental assistants in the US. The workforce of Dental assistants in 2024 was 317,606 people, with 93.3% woman, and 6.74% men. The average age of male Dental assistants in the workforce is 34.8 and of female Dental assistants is 37, and the most common race/ethnicity for Dental assistants is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Dental assistants in 2024 was 317,606 people, with 93.3% woman, and 6.74% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 20 to 24 years (54,609 people), 25 to 29 years (54,144 people), and 30 to 34 years (44,498 people). Among them they concentrated 48.3% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 30.6% of Dental assistants workers were Hispanic and 69.4% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (58.9%), Puerto Rican (10.8)%, and Cuban (4.96)%

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

Races

In 2024, 57.2% of the Dental assistants workforce were White, of which 95.5% were women and 4.46% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Two or More Races (15.8%) and Other (12%).

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 2024 were Health.

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 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Health (11,147 people), Biology (5,936 people), and Business (5,331 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 (120,758 people), High School or Equivalent (84,217 people), and Associates Degree (61,308 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 3.07%, but Dental Assistants are expected to see a growth of 6.39% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

6.39%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

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 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.