How to hire a dental assistant

How to hire a dental assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step dental assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a dental assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new dental assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a dental assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The dental assistant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A dental assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, dental assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of dental assistants and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Dental Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Dental Assistant	Dental assistants perform many tasks, ranging from providing patient care and taking x rays to recordkeeping and scheduling appointments. Their duties vary by state and by the dentists’ offices where they work.	$13-24
   Sterile Technician	In the medical industry, a sterile technician is in charge of cleaning and sterilizing surgical and medical tools and devices. They must also operate and organize equipment, monitor the inventory of supplies, maintain official records, coordinate with staff, transport supplies, and keep the cleanliness of different operating areas, decontaminating them to maintain a safe and healthy workflow... Show more	$12-21
   Dental Receptionist	A dental receptionist is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support dental office operations and ensure that the patients receive the highest quality care services. Dental receptionists manage and schedule the patients' appointments, determine the availability of the dentist, process dental reports and service payments, and ensure the adequacy of dental inventories... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Patient Care
   • CPR
   • Oral Care
   • Customer Service
   • Dental Procedures
   • Chair Side
   • OSHA
   • Treatment Procedures
   • Dental Care
   • Oral Health
   • Excellent Organizational
   • Infection Control Procedures
   • Work Ethic

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Help dentist to manage dental and medical emergencies by maintaining CPR certification, emergency drug and oxygen supply.
   • Assist with Endo, implants and periodontal surgeries.
   • Implement MSDS record keeping and biological monitoring system logs.
   • Assist in clinical procedures (all specialties except orthodontics).
   • Maintain highest degree of patient confidentiality as per HIPPA law.
   • Sole dental assistant for small private practice using a variety of EFDA skills

   More dental assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your dental assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A dental assistant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, dental assistants' average salary in mississippi is 39% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level dental assistants 44% less than senior-level dental assistants.
   • Certifications. A dental assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a dental assistant's salary.

   Average dental assistant salary

   $37,730yearly

   $18.14 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level dental assistant salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average dental assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Minnesota	$45,858	$22
   2	Massachusetts	$43,051	$21
   3	Oregon	$42,925	$21
   4	New Jersey	$41,631	$20
   5	Washington	$41,334	$20
   6	Maryland	$39,834	$19
   7	New York	$39,782	$19
   8	California	$39,179	$19
   9	Maine	$38,482	$19
   10	Pennsylvania	$38,342	$18
   11	Colorado	$37,967	$18
   12	South Carolina	$36,453	$18
   13	Arizona	$36,308	$17
   14	Iowa	$36,264	$17
   15	District of Columbia	$36,230	$17
   16	Illinois	$36,186	$17
   17	Indiana	$36,139	$17
   18	Georgia	$35,740	$17
   19	Nevada	$35,620	$17
   20	North Carolina	$35,522	$17

   Average dental assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Alameda Health System	$61,673	$29.65	4
   2	Children's Hospital Los Angeles	$58,281	$28.02	2
   3	Private Practice	$57,305	$27.55	13
   4	Highland General Hospital	$57,227	$27.51
   5	New York University	$56,912	$27.36	2
   6	Mott Children's	$56,827	$27.32
   7	Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center	$55,880	$26.87	24
   8	Grand View Health	$55,570	$26.72
   9	Children's Hospital Colorado	$55,179	$26.53	2
   10	University of Illinois Springfield	$55,167	$26.52
   11	Catholic Health East	$54,780	$26.34	10
   12	Columbia University in the City of New York	$54,477	$26.19	1
   13	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$54,471	$26.19	62
   14	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	$54,383	$26.15
   15	Fayette Community Hospital Inc	$53,762	$25.85
   16	Boston Medical Center	$53,526	$25.73	15
   17	State University of New York College at Cortland	$51,882	$24.94
   18	Suncoast Center	$51,817	$24.91	1
   19	Health Alliance	$51,066	$24.55	18
   20	OSF HealthCare	$50,685	$24.37	28

4. Writing a dental assistant job description

   A job description for a dental assistant role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a dental assistant job description:

   Dental assistant job description example

   Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM) offers one of the most forward-looking educational environments in dental medicine in the country. Since its founding in 1868, TUSDM has been committed to leadership in education, patient care, research, and community service. Students obtain an interdisciplinary education, integrated with medicine, with access to training in dental specialties. Clinics at TUSDM provide quality comprehensive care to more than 20,000 individuals annually. Nationally and internationally, the school promotes health and educational programs and researches new procedures, materials, and technologies to improve oral health.
   What You'll Do
   
   This position requires the incumbent to be proficient in all aspects of Dental Assisting responsibilities. The dental assistant will assist Pre-Doctoral Dental Students chair side, set up and break down operatories, clean operatory areas after each patient and stock all materials needed in the clinic on a daily basis. Incumbent may support clinic dispensary staff as back up when needed. The Dental Assistant will ensure Pre-Doctoral clinics and Students are OSHA and HIPAA compliant.
   
   What We're Looking For
   
   Basic Requirements: 0-1 years of experience. Vocational/Technical training or Associates Degree. Radiology certification required, DPH Dental Assistant License. Sound knowledge of HIPAA and OSHA compliance. Familiarity with dental software, email and Microsoft Word. Ability to lift 25 lbs. with or without accommodation. Preferred Qualifications: Should be proficient in taking radiographs. Competent with infection control procedures. Excellent communication and organization skills. Ability to work with patients parents, guardians, and care givers. Excellent oral communication skills. Should be a team-leader, self-motivated, well organized and have the ability to manage his/her time efficiently. An employee in this position must complete all appropriate background checks at the time of hire, promotion, or transfer.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer minority/females/veterans/disability/sexual orientation/gender identity.
   
   recblid 04ff6nu4de176tsj7t86thpi4ly32j

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right dental assistant for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your dental assistant job on Zippia to find and attract quality dental assistant candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting dental assistants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new dental assistant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the dental assistant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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