How to hire a registered dental assistant

How to hire a registered dental assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step registered 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 registered dental assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new registered dental assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a registered dental assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a registered dental assistant, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect registered dental assistant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents registered dental assistant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Registered Dental Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Registered 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
   Dental Nurse	A Dental Nurse assists dentists in carrying out different kinds of oral-care procedures. They look after patient records and make notes when the dentist is examining a patient.	$24-61
   Dental Technician	Dental Technicians manufacture dental prosthetics, such as crowns, bridges, and dentures in accordance with the dentist's specifications. They are also responsible for replacing, repairing, or modifying full or partial dentures.	$19-55

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • CPR
   • RDA
   • Treatment Rooms
   • Oral Surgery
   • Patient Care
   • Dental Procedures
   • Customer Service
   • ENDO
   • Chair Side
   • OSHA
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Vital Signs
   • HIPAA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Prepare patients for recording temperature and blood pressure, administering sedatives along with charting.
   • Participate with all continuing education classes and courses, including first aid and CPR updating.
   • Take full mouth x-rays, perform coronal polishing; provide flossing and oral hygiene instructions.
   • Fabricate temporary crowns; take final impressions, coronal polishing, and mixing and placement of cement.
   • Front office coverage; billing, insurance eligibility, process insurance claims, patient communications, compliant with HIPAA regulations.
   • Complete accurate documentation of patient treatment and maintain HIPAA compliance.

   More registered dental assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your registered dental assistant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A registered dental assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a registered dental assistant in Montana may be lower than in Minnesota, and an entry-level registered dental assistant usually earns less than a senior-level registered dental assistant. Additionally, a registered dental assistant with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average registered dental assistant salary

   $38,145yearly

   $18.34 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level registered dental assistant salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 1, 2026

   Average registered dental assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$42,921	$21
   2	Washington	$42,387	$20
   3	California	$42,097	$20
   4	Iowa	$38,080	$18
   5	Texas	$32,716	$16
   6	Oklahoma	$29,847	$14

   Average registered dental assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Rady Children's Hospital And Health Center	$55,202	$26.54	2
   2	University of California-Berkeley	$49,564	$23.83
   3	University of Southern California	$48,360	$23.25	12
   4	Holston Medical Group	$46,615	$22.41	13
   5	Arkansas Children's Hospital	$46,396	$22.31	9
   6	UCI Health	$44,151	$21.23	8
   7	HealthRIGHT 360	$43,350	$20.84	13
   8	La Jolla Pharmaceutical	$42,154	$20.27	2
   9	My Community Dental Centers	$41,975	$20.18	12
   10	Community Dental Services Inc	$41,814	$20.10
   11	Smile Programs	$41,481	$19.94
   12	Cooper University Health Care	$41,159	$19.79	21
   13	True Care Home Care	$39,958	$19.21	26
   14	Hackensack Meridian Health	$39,956	$19.21	106
   15	SAC Health	$39,939	$19.20	5
   16	AltaMed Health Services	$39,856	$19.16	5
   17	Clear Choice Health Care	$39,482	$18.98	28
   18	The Family Health Centers of Asheville	$39,193	$18.84	46
   19	Clinica Sierra Vista	$38,641	$18.58	11
   20	California Dental Association	$38,571	$18.54

4. Writing a registered dental assistant job description

   A registered dental assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a registered dental assistant job description:

   Registered dental assistant job description example

   Bilingual Registered Dental Assistant Zip Code: Houston, TX 77036 | Location : Southwest Houston Employment Type : Temporary | Workplace Type: On-site Healthcare Specialty: Dental & Orthodontics | Salary: $18.50 an hour Client Company: Harris County’s Public Health Department Team1Medical is partnering with Harris County’s Public Health Department to fill their immediate opening for a Bilingual Registered Dental Assistant. As the Bilingual Registered Dental Assistant, you will be assigned various cases supporting their school based dental program. This is a great opportunity to promote dental health and prevention by educating the youth in our community. Benefits offered while working this long-term contract position through Team1Medical. Bilingual Registered Dental Assistant ’s Responsibilities

   • Chairside scribing for providers
   • Assist with set up of portable dental equipment
   • Assist with participants of the events
   • Maintain maintenance of supplies and equipment
   • Practice infection control

   Bilingual Registered Dental Assistant's Qualifications

   • One years of work experience as a Registered Dental Assistant
   • Must be Bilingual in Spanish and English
   • Must be a Registered Dental Assistant in the State of Texas
   • Must be comfortable going to schools throughout the Harris County area
   • Must be able to pass a pre-employment criminal background check and drug screen
   • Ability to start as soon as possible and commit to the assignment on a long-term basis

   Company C ulture & P erks

   • Opportunity to improve your community public health.
   • During your employment with Team1Medical Staffing, you are eligible to enroll in our benefits program, including medical (3 plans to choose from), dental, disability, critical illness, life, vision, accident, and behavioral health insurance. Additional benefits include 401K, direct deposit, and our referral bonus program!

   Salary: $18.50 an hour If you are a Bilingual Registered Dental Assistant interested in improving public health in your community …. Apply Now !
   Why Team1Medical? Team1Medical is one of the most trusted medical staffing agencies in Houston, TX. Our team believes in the importance of learning who you are as a person and a professional. We offer Direct Hire, Temp-to-hire, and PRN positions to allow you to choose the opportunities that best fit your needs. Whether you are an experienced professional or just launching your career, Team1Medical will invest in your success. View more open positions at www.team1medical.com Team1Medical is an affiliate of The Reserves Network, a family-owned and veteran-founded company. Since 1987, we have been a trusted partner to employers and job seekers within the healthcare community. As an equal opportunity employer, we value our employees and foster an environment of respect, integrity, and trust in every aspect of employment. However you identify and whatever your background, we encourage you to apply today .

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right registered dental assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with registered dental assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit registered dental assistants who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your registered dental assistant job on Zippia to find and attract quality registered 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 registered 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 registered dental assistant

   Once you've found the registered dental assistant candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new registered dental assistant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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How much does it cost to hire a registered dental assistant?