How to Become a Dental Assistant
Keep dental practices running chairside and front-of-office: prep, assist, and manage patient flow. It typically requires a postsecondary certificate, with a median salary of $48,070 per year and faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$48,070/yr
Middle half
$44,340 to $58,090
Job growth
Faster than average
Openings / yr
52,900
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Chairside Assisting
- Sterilization
- Patient Communication
- Scheduling
- Radiography Basics
Helpful certifications
- CDA (DANB Certified Dental Assistant)
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
0/100
Work-life balance
84/100
Stress level
60/100
Related careers
- Psychiatrist$281,870 median
- Physician (Family Medicine)$244,180 median
- Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)$236,590 median
- Dentist$170,950 median
- Pharmacist$140,910 median
- Optometrist$136,570 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Dental Assistant make?
The median pay for a Dental Assistant is $48,070 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $44,340 and $58,090 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Dental Assistant?
The usual entry point is a postsecondary certificate. Common majors are Dental Assisting, Health Sciences, and Dental Hygiene.
Is Dental Assistant a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 52,900 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Dental Assistant use most?
Common skills for this role are Chairside Assisting, Sterilization, Patient Communication, Scheduling, and Radiography Basics.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).