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Best states for a dental assistant
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to dental assistant jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for dental assistants. We found that Minnesota is the best state in the nation for dental assistants, and people in Fairbanks earn the most in the field.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for dental assistants. Minnesota is the best state for dental assistants, where the median salary is $45,756.If you are currently seeking employment as a dental assistant, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for dental assistants in 2025
1. Minnesota
Total dental assistant jobs: 321 Average annual salary: $45,756 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
2. Oregon
Total dental assistant jobs: 186 Average annual salary: $43,100 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
3. Alaska
Total dental assistant jobs: 36 Average annual salary: $45,905 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
4. Washington
Total dental assistant jobs: 458 Average annual salary: $40,732 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 1.63
5. Massachusetts
Total dental assistant jobs: 307 Average annual salary: $43,156 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
6. New Hampshire
Total dental assistant jobs: 57 Average annual salary: $40,396 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
7. North Dakota
Total dental assistant jobs: 27 Average annual salary: $39,831 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
8. Connecticut
Total dental assistant jobs: 107 Average annual salary: $40,349 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
9. Colorado
Total dental assistant jobs: 342 Average annual salary: $37,839 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
10. Michigan
Total dental assistant jobs: 425 Average annual salary: $36,540 Lowest 10 percent earn: $24,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
Dental assistant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a dental assistant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a dental assistant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $45,756 | $32,000 | 5,576,606 | 321 |
| 2 | Oregon | $43,100 | $31,000 | 4,142,776 | 186 |
| 3 | Alaska | $45,905 | $38,000 | 739,795 | 36 |
| 4 | Washington | $40,732 | $30,000 | 7,405,743 | 458 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $43,156 | $29,000 | 6,859,819 | 307 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $40,396 | $28,000 | 1,342,795 | 57 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $39,831 | $29,000 | 755,393 | 27 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $40,349 | $26,000 | 3,588,184 | 107 |
| 9 | Colorado | $37,839 | $28,000 | 5,607,154 | 342 |
| 10 | Michigan | $36,540 | $24,000 | 9,962,311 | 425 |
| 11 | South Carolina | $36,366 | $26,000 | 5,024,369 | 207 |
| 12 | New York | $39,603 | $26,000 | 19,849,399 | 468 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $41,838 | $31,000 | 579,315 | 10 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $37,878 | $24,000 | 12,805,537 | 408 |
| 15 | Maine | $38,157 | $27,000 | 1,335,907 | 46 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $40,481 | $27,000 | 1,059,639 | 23 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $41,446 | $27,000 | 9,005,644 | 199 |
| 18 | Vermont | $40,663 | $28,000 | 623,657 | 15 |
| 19 | Arizona | $36,293 | $26,000 | 7,016,270 | 254 |
| 20 | Virginia | $39,343 | $26,000 | 8,470,020 | 273 |
| 21 | Nevada | $35,700 | $26,000 | 2,998,039 | 78 |
| 22 | California | $39,406 | $28,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,082 |
| 23 | Indiana | $36,282 | $25,000 | 6,666,818 | 198 |
| 24 | Georgia | $35,699 | $26,000 | 10,429,379 | 416 |
| 25 | Iowa | $36,582 | $26,000 | 3,145,711 | 93 |
| 26 | Ohio | $33,770 | $22,000 | 11,658,609 | 561 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $34,605 | $25,000 | 6,715,984 | 205 |
| 28 | Florida | $34,292 | $25,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,044 |
| 29 | Maryland | $39,581 | $25,000 | 6,052,177 | 165 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $43,052 | $35,000 | 1,427,538 | 21 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $33,535 | $23,000 | 5,795,483 | 325 |
| 32 | Delaware | $38,548 | $25,000 | 961,939 | 11 |
| 33 | Illinois | $35,979 | $25,000 | 12,802,023 | 376 |
| 34 | Texas | $33,606 | $24,000 | 28,304,596 | 744 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $34,995 | $24,000 | 10,273,419 | 242 |
| 36 | Kansas | $33,636 | $25,000 | 2,913,123 | 77 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $31,289 | $23,000 | 2,088,070 | 102 |
| 38 | Idaho | $32,975 | $24,000 | 1,716,943 | 49 |
| 39 | Missouri | $31,690 | $23,000 | 6,113,532 | 212 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $32,832 | $24,000 | 3,004,279 | 49 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $31,378 | $22,000 | 4,454,189 | 117 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $29,773 | $22,000 | 3,930,864 | 148 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $31,479 | $23,000 | 869,666 | 29 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $30,977 | $20,000 | 1,815,857 | 45 |
| 45 | District of Columbia | $36,198 | $23,000 | 693,972 | 19 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $31,804 | $23,000 | 1,920,076 | 61 |
| 47 | Utah | $32,032 | $24,000 | 3,101,833 | 79 |
| 48 | Montana | $30,037 | $22,000 | 1,050,493 | 31 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $30,348 | $22,000 | 4,684,333 | 76 |
| 50 | Alabama | $29,541 | $21,000 | 4,874,747 | 96 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $28,202 | $20,000 | 2,984,100 | 48 |
Highest paying states for dental assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. Dental Assistant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $45,756 |
| 2 | Oregon | $43,100 |
| 3 | Alaska | $45,905 |
| 4 | Washington | $40,732 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $43,156 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $40,396 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $39,831 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $40,349 |
| 9 | Colorado | $37,839 |
| 10 | Michigan | $36,540 |
| 11 | South Carolina | $36,366 |
| 12 | New York | $39,603 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $41,838 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $37,878 |
| 15 | Maine | $38,157 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $40,481 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $41,446 |
| 18 | Vermont | $40,663 |
| 19 | Arizona | $36,293 |
| 20 | Virginia | $39,343 |
| 21 | Nevada | $35,700 |
| 22 | California | $39,406 |
| 23 | Indiana | $36,282 |
| 24 | Georgia | $35,699 |
| 25 | Iowa | $36,582 |
| 26 | Ohio | $33,770 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $34,605 |
| 28 | Florida | $34,292 |
| 29 | Maryland | $39,581 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $43,052 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $33,535 |
| 32 | Delaware | $38,548 |
| 33 | Illinois | $35,979 |
| 34 | Texas | $33,606 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $34,995 |
| 36 | Kansas | $33,636 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $31,289 |
| 38 | Idaho | $32,975 |
| 39 | Missouri | $31,690 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $32,832 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $31,378 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $29,773 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $31,479 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $30,977 |
| 45 | District of Columbia | $36,198 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $31,804 |
| 47 | Utah | $32,032 |
| 48 | Montana | $30,037 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $30,348 |
| 50 | Alabama | $29,541 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $28,202 |
Dental assistant best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025