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This question is about dental assistant salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Dental Assistant?
A good starting salary for a dental assistant is $29,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a dental assistant in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for dental assistants is $39,946, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a dental assistant can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Dental Assistant Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level dental assistant earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Hawaii | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Alaska | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Massachusetts | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Maine | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Vermont | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Minnesota | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Oregon | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| New Hampshire | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Connecticut | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| New Jersey | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Virginia | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| New York | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Maryland | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Washington | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Rhode Island | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| California | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Delaware | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Michigan | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| South Carolina | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Pennsylvania | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Iowa | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| North Dakota | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Wyoming | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Indiana | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Nevada | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Georgia | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Illinois | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| North Carolina | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Colorado | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| South Dakota | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| District of Columbia | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Ohio | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Wisconsin | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Tennessee | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Florida | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Kentucky | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Arizona | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Kansas | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Nebraska | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Texas | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Missouri | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Montana | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| West Virginia | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Alabama | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Utah | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| New Mexico | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Oklahoma | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Idaho | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Louisiana | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Arkansas | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Mississippi | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Dental Assistant Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level dental assistant job is above the national average. Topping the list is Boston, MA.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Boston, MA | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Rochester, MN | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Portland, ME | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Salem, OR | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Vancouver, WA | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Richmond, CA | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Richmond, VA | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Baltimore, MD | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| New York, NY | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Rochester, NH | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
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