The highest-paying states for dental assistants (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of dental assistants in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $60,810, Minnesota is the highest paying state for dental assistants. It is followed by District of Columbia (average annual salary $51,580). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of dental assistants in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $60,810 |
$46,850 | 5,890 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $51,580 |
$39,060 | 660 |
| 3 | Oregon | $50,110 |
$41,610 | 5,200 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $49,960 |
$37,720 | 740 |
| 5 | Vermont | $49,910 |
$38,860 | 610 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $49,630 |
$37,950 | 1,360 |
| 7 | Washington | $49,320 |
$37,140 | 11,290 |
| 8 | Alaska | $49,170 |
$38,900 | 1,080 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $48,140 |
$43,330 | 9,650 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $47,870 |
$36,930 | 3,560 |
| 11 | Iowa | $46,660 |
$34,030 | 3,280 |
| 12 | Maine | $46,600 |
$36,370 | 1,230 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $46,290 |
$35,710 | 9,500 |
| 14 | New York | $46,280 |
$35,870 | 19,040 |
| 15 | California | $46,170 |
$36,270 | 55,360 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $46,140 |
$34,090 | 11,990 |
| 17 | Maryland | $46,040 |
$31,750 | 5,040 |
| 18 | Delaware | $46,000 |
$30,830 | 900 |
| 19 | Arizona | $45,990 |
$35,970 | 9,040 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $45,910 |
$36,980 | 1,010 |
| 21 | Virginia | $45,620 |
$34,470 | 8,110 |
| 22 | Colorado | $45,490 |
$35,680 | 7,100 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $45,280 |
$36,410 | 6,550 |
| 24 | Indiana | $45,270 |
$30,540 | 6,950 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $45,160 |
$32,860 | 10,890 |
| 26 | Nevada | $45,050 |
$30,740 | 3,720 |
| 27 | Ohio | $44,980 |
$34,760 | 11,460 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $43,710 |
$34,740 | 4,820 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $43,560 |
$36,460 | 2,240 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $43,550 |
$39,780 | 800 |
| 31 | Michigan | $42,870 |
$30,560 | 11,390 |
| 32 | Missouri | $42,450 |
$31,920 | 6,660 |
| 33 | Florida | $42,330 |
$35,960 | 22,670 |
| 34 | Georgia | $39,500 |
$30,680 | 10,900 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $39,400 |
$28,210 | 3,320 |
| 36 | Guam | $39,070 |
$22,430 | 100 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $38,920 |
$29,700 | 4,650 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $38,450 |
$32,300 | 550 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $38,450 |
$29,120 | 1,620 |
| 40 | Montana | $38,390 |
$30,920 | 1,420 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $38,360 |
$30,450 | 6,760 |
| 42 | Illinois | $38,240 |
$26,750 | 12,940 |
| 43 | Kansas | $38,170 |
$29,080 | 3,220 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $38,110 |
$30,980 | 2,040 |
| 45 | Texas | $37,570 |
$28,270 | 32,360 |
| 46 | Utah | $36,910 |
$29,670 | 5,920 |
| 47 | Idaho | $36,720 |
$30,570 | 2,820 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $36,330 |
$29,010 | 2,970 |
| 49 | Alabama | $36,120 |
$28,770 | 3,710 |
| 50 | Virgin Islands | $35,800 |
$26,510 | 50 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $35,470 |
$28,770 | 2,530 |
| 52 | West Virginia | $35,400 |
$28,860 | 1,440 |
| 53 | Louisiana | $35,180 |
$28,390 | 4,920 |
| 54 | Puerto Rico | $18,670 |
$18,220 | 2,600 |