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Job outlook for expanded function dental assistants in the United States
Expanded function dental assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected expanded function dental assistant job growth rate is 8% from 2018-2028.
About 30,100 new jobs for expanded function dental assistants are projected over the next decade.
Expanded function dental assistant salaries have increased 11% for expanded function dental assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 316,554 expanded function dental assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 69,681 active expanded function dental assistant job openings in the US.
The average expanded function dental assistant salary is $38,666.
Are expanded function dental assistant jobs in demand?
Expanded function dental assistant job and salary trends over time
Expanded function dental assistant jobs over time
Expanded function dental assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 316,554 | 0.09% |
| 2020 | 284,613 | 0.08% |
| 2019 | 320,475 | 0.10% |
| 2018 | 310,983 | 0.09% |
| 2017 | 307,427 | 0.09% |
Average expanded function dental assistant salary over time
Expanded function dental assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $38,666 | $18.59 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $37,633 | $18.09 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $36,300 | $17.45 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $35,332 | $16.99 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $34,685 | $16.68 | +2.7% |
Expanded function dental assistant jobs by state
Most common states for expanded function dental assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 416 | 6% |
| 2 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 339 | 6% |
| 3 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 1,013 | 5% |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 312 | 5% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 284 | 5% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 36 | 5% |
| 7 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 456 | 4% |
| 8 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 396 | 4% |
| 9 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 375 | 4% |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 264 | 4% |
| 11 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 256 | 4% |
| 12 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 159 | 4% |
| 13 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 82 | 4% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 356 | 3% |
| 15 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 175 | 3% |
| 16 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 108 | 3% |
| 17 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 82 | 3% |
| 18 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 45 | 3% |
| 19 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 39 | 3% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 22 | 3% |
Most common cities for expanded function dental assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woodburn | 2 | 8% | $45,340 |
| 2 | Grants Pass | 1 | 3% | $46,017 |
| 3 | Keizer | 1 | 3% | $45,430 |
| 4 | Lynnwood | 1 | 3% | $43,281 |
| 5 | Salem | 2 | 1% | $45,439 |
| 6 | Auburn | 1 | 1% | $43,223 |
| 7 | Beaverton | 1 | 1% | $45,276 |
| 8 | Bend | 1 | 1% | $44,836 |
| 9 | Gresham | 1 | 1% | $45,128 |
| 10 | Hillsboro | 1 | 1% | $45,336 |
| 11 | Kirkland | 1 | 1% | $43,240 |
| 12 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $36,918 |
Expanded Function Dental Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of expanded function dental assistant experts
Farmingdale State College
Case Western Reserve University
Dental School
Daniela Taranto
What general advice would you give to an Expanded Function Dental Assistant?
Daniela Taranto: Generally dental assistants like the gratification in helping patients. In calming the anxious child, putting a smile of a lonely geriatric patient's face, listening to their family stories, gaining essentially a stranger's trust and helping them feel safe in what can be a scary environment for them. What they may dislike is some dental specialties such as oral surgery may be more graphic than others, and not everyone can withstand the occasional gore that accompanies a difficult extraction or surgery. So, knowing yourself and your own limits is important when selecting what type of practice, you may consider working in.
What Expanded Function Dental Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Daniela Taranto: Post Covid-19 dental professions have seen a jump in salaries in my opinion. During Covid there was a sense of many leaving the profession, and post it seems that dental professional jobs have consistently been in high demand. The hours are often flexible, with many full and part-time options, evenings, or weekends. The flexibility is great for college students and parents as well. Becoming a dental assistant is a great career path for those considering any career in the dental field. It can be a steppingstone and exposure to other professions such as dentist, dental specialist, dental hygienists. as well as insurance, dental coding, and administrative positions.
What will help Expanded Function Dental Assistants increase their earning potential?
Daniela Taranto: A Dental Assistants responsibility can vary by state, or by certifications earned. But in general, they include preparing dental operatories for a wide range of dental procedures including Composite restorations (fillings), Endodontic procedures (root canals), surgical procedures including extractions and dental implants, Periodontal procedures including dental cleanings, and deeper scaling and root planing, Prosthetic/Cosmetic dental work including crowns, bridges, dentures, or cosmetic procedures such as teeth whitening or veneers. Once the DA has prepared the operatory, they stay and work directly with the dentist using four-handed dentistry to facilitate an efficient and effective workflow. In addition to having extensive knowledge on these procedures and their armamentaria, DA's are often responsible for adhering to a high level of infection control procedures. Preparing instruments for sterilization and operating the varying machines that are used to achieve that is also part of the DAs daily responsibilities. Furthermore, dental assistants are also trained in a variety of dental materials. They can mix and prepare cements, alginates, and other impression materials. New technology offers dental assistants to obtain digital scans of patients' oral cavity as well. They can work in and are needed in all dental practices. The occupation of a DA offers the option to make a career out of it by earning additional certifications for expanded functions, or use it as a steppingstone towards a career in dental hygiene, or dentistry. Other responsibilities can include front desk work as well, scheduling appointments, answering phones, and other administrative tasks. The role of the dental assistant is vital to successful dental practices.
What general advice would you give to an Expanded Function Dental Assistant?
Carrie Miller BS, CLDA: Dental Assisting is a licensed dental profession dedicated to oral health care for patients of all ages. As a vital member of the dental team, dental assistants actively support the dentist and the hygienist while also independently performing procedures. Some of their day-to-day responsibilities include ensuring patient comfort, preparing patients and the work area for treatments, assisting with oral surgeries, sterilizing dental instruments, handing instruments to the dentist during procedures, evacuating oral cavities, making dental impressions, instructing patients in proper oral hygiene, taking and processing dental X-rays, installing fixed prosthodontics, maintaining inventory, scheduling patient appointments, and working with patients on billing and payment.
What Expanded Function Dental Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Carrie Miller BS, CLDA: Dental assisting offers several advantages that make it an attractive career choice. The demand for dental assistants has been consistently high due to factors such as population growth, aging demographics, and expansion of dental services. Additionally, the flexibility in scheduling and the opportunity to work in healthcare, a sector with constant demand, make it a stable and rewarding career path. Dental assisting provides both job security and personal fulfillment, making it a great option for those considering a career in healthcare.
What will help Expanded Function Dental Assistants increase their earning potential?
Carrie Miller BS, CLDA: Some reasons why dental assistants like their job include the ability to help others, the variety of duties they handle, and the chance to learn something new through continuing education. However, some dental assistants dislike their job due to staff shortages leading to additional duties and more hours, as well as feeling unappreciated for the range of tasks they perform.
What general advice would you give to an Expanded Function Dental Assistant?
Aaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDH: In California, it is an exciting time to be a Dental Assistant. The industry has been gradually adding more technologically advanced procedures like 3-D printing, intra-oral scanning, along with Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistance. A Dental Assistant needs to possess the traditional knowledge to be able to learn these new advanced procedures. In order to make themselves more competitive, the Dental Assistant must possess the knowledge and hands-on experience of these new procedures.
Also, since in California the minimum wage is increasing beyond the amount that a starting Dental Assistant could potentially earn, learning new advanced techniques is more relevant.
What Expanded Function Dental Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Aaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDH: In the Dental Assisting program at West Los Angeles College, the advice that we give our students includes several topics. The main recommendation is to take the California's Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) exam. Other advice includes, creating a professional resume (cloud based and on paper), always be respectful of other's time and having a professional mindset. These are qualities that are timeless.
What will help Expanded Function Dental Assistants increase their earning potential?
Aaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDH: A timeless recommendation for to maximize your salary potential when starting a Dental Assisting career is to be knowledgeable of the procedures that dentistry entail. A proven path is to be certified through a professional pathway of becoming a California Registered Dental Assistant (RDA). An RDA is the pinnacle of the Dental Assistant profession in general dentistry. Eventually with experience, salary rates increase, but the greatest increase has traditionally been becoming an RDA.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Expanded Function Dental Assistants?
Carol Donohue: Before the pandemic, the Bureau of Labor Statistics rated dental assisting as one of the fastest growing careers, and it has continued to increase as many dental assistants have left to stay home with young children or elderly parents/relatives. Most dental offices report that they are extremely busy and trying to catch up from the work that was put on hold due to the pandemic. At one point dental offices were only seeing emergencies only. As the medical field continues to expand, opportunities for stable employment in this rewarding industry are within reach
What's a day at work look like for an Expanded Function Dental Assistant?
Carol Donohue: There are additional precautionary measures that are taken due to COVID-19 that has changed what the typical day for a dental assistant looks like. A typical workday now starts with temperature checks as part of the Covid-19 screenings for all patients and staff. Pre-screening of patients by phone and also screening patients upon their arrival to the dental office. Upon arrival patients call from their cars and must wear a face mask and come alone if possible, fill out a Covid screening form and have temperature taken prior to being seated. Additional responsibilities include disinfecting and cleaning the office more than ever. Being super diligent about infection control protocols that have been added as a result of the pandemic. Add to this the additional personal protective equipment (PPE) that is recommended from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that is required under the Covid-19 protocols. These include head covering, a face shield, masks and disposable lab jackets. Despite the changes that dental assistants have been navigating through, one thing remains the same, they continue to embrace their underlying purpose, which is providing care for patients in need.
During a procedure, the dental assistant helps the dentist by handing them instruments and holding suction hoses to keep the patient's mouth clean and dry. Under a dentist's guidance, they may also take x-rays and perform lab tests. After a procedure, the dental assistant will review care instructions with the patient. They will then restock the examining room with supplies for the next patient.
After a procedure, a dental assistant will review care instructions with the patient. They will then restock the examining room with supplies for the next patient.
What will help Expanded Function Dental Assistants increase their earning potential?
Carol Donohue: Increasing earning potential can come from various avenues which range from being prepared from the interview, staying current with continuing education as dentistry is always evolving in areas such as infection control, dental materials and more. The more knowledge, training, and education dental assistants have, the more they can contribute to the practice as well, making dental assistants an integral part of any successful dental practice.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Expanded Function Dental Assistants?
Manish Valiathan: Dentistry has been around since 7000 B.C years and is clearly one of the most resilient professions in healthcare. Given that fact, I expect the pandemic to have some impact but not a negative one. I expect a steeper trajectory in areas such as teledentistry, use of advanced and emerging technologies that will require fewer and shorter appointments for patients and providers alike, and expect a continued emphasis on preventing the spread of infectious diseases (that our profession has been on top of since the HIV crisis).
What type of skills will young Expanded Function Dental Assistants need?
Mario Alemagno: I do believe that there will. Infection control has always been a point of emphasis in all dental programs. The coronavirus has reinforced this with students and has made them respect the necessity of this imperative part of their education and, ultimately, their practice. This is not likely to be forgotten. On a broader level, it has taught them to be prepared and to adapt to changes that may take place in the way they perform their dentistry and how they run their dental practices.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Expanded Function Dental Assistants to find work opportunities?
Mario Alemagno: The coronavirus pandemic may have improved, what I believe, has always been a good professional field opportunity. The need for good dental care is everywhere. I don't believe any single place can be selected over another. Many veteran dentists were making their decision to retire or sell their practices with all the changes to PPE's and increased time-consuming infection control procedures that are now necessary. This makes it all that much more exciting for graduating dentists. The education the students now get prepares them for this. Knowing this makes them more comfortable in their future endeavors.
How do you envision technology impacting Expanded Function Dental Assistants in the next 5 years?
Mario Alemagno: Dentistry continues to advance, allowing dentists to be more effective, efficient, and to provide more options for the patients. I expect that 5 years from now, there will be things currently unavailable, making dental care better for both the practicing dentists and the patients. Treatment that once took weeks, can now be done in a few hours. This is a very exciting time for dentistry.