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Surgical dental assistant demographics and statistics in the US

Surgical dental assistant demographics research summary. Zippia estimates surgical dental assistant demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our surgical dental assistant estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about surgical dental assistants after extensive research and analysis:

  • There are over 270,201 surgical dental assistants currently employed in the United States.
  • 91.3% of all surgical dental assistants are women, while 8.7% are men.
  • The average surgical dental assistant age is 37 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of surgical dental assistants is White (54.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (23.6%), Black or African American (8.6%) and Asian (7.4%).
  • In 2022, women earned 95% of what men earned.
  • 4% of all surgical dental assistants are LGBT.
  • Surgical dental assistants are 75% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
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Surgical dental assistant demographics by:

Surgical dental assistant gender statistics

91.3% of surgical dental assistants are women and 8.7% of surgical dental assistants are men.
  • Female, 91.3%
  • Male, 8.7%

Surgical dental assistant gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Female91.3%
Male8.7%

Surgical dental assistant gender pay gap

Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$42,550
female-income
Female income
$40,573

Surgical dental assistant gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in surgical dental assistant positions over time. Currently, 91.3% of surgical dental assistants are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Surgical dental assistant gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
20104.60%95.40%
20115.30%94.70%
20125.56%94.44%
20135.24%94.76%
20146.25%93.75%
20156.65%93.35%
20165.32%94.68%
20176.88%93.12%
20186.50%93.50%
20197.13%92.87%
20206.20%93.80%
20218.72%91.28%

Surgical dental assistant related jobs gender ratio

We compared surgical dental assistants with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, delivery technician and donations attendant have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Pathology Transcriptionist3%97%
Radiology Transcriptionist5%95%
Certified Registered Dental Assistant5%95%
Surgical Dental Assistant9%91%
Dental Officer79%21%
Donations Attendant81%19%
Delivery Technician88%12%

Surgical dental assistant demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among surgical dental assistants is White, which makes up 54.4% of all surgical dental assistants. Comparatively, 23.6% of surgical dental assistants are Hispanic or Latino and 8.6% of surgical dental assistants are Black or African American.
  • White, 54.4%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 23.6%
  • Black or African American, 8.6%
  • Asian, 7.4%
  • Unknown, 5.1%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%

Surgical dental assistant race

Surgical dental assistant racePercentages
White54.4%
Hispanic or Latino23.6%
Black or African American8.6%
Asian7.4%
Unknown5.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.9%

Surgical dental assistant race and ethnicity over time

See how surgical dental assistant racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Surgical dental assistant race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201064.42%9.57%4.98%18.20%
201161.47%9.65%4.71%20.47%
201259.70%10.59%5.47%20.96%
201361.83%9.80%5.77%19.19%
201461.16%9.62%5.78%20.35%
201561.09%9.37%4.86%21.10%
201660.60%8.69%5.81%21.26%
201758.51%9.25%6.29%22.85%
201859.55%9.54%5.73%21.45%
201957.41%7.72%7.14%23.72%
202056.06%9.07%6.16%22.86%
202154.45%8.64%7.41%23.61%

Surgical dental assistant wage gap by race

According to our data, white surgical dental assistants have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino surgical dental assistants have the lowest average salary at $41,946.
$44,000
$43,000
$42,000
$41,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$42,830
White$42,969
Black or African American$42,138
Asian$42,876
Hispanic or Latino$41,946

Average surgical dental assistant age

See how the average age of surgical dental assistants varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Surgical dental assistant age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Black or African American38.537.5
Unknown37
Asian3539
Hispanic or Latino2733
White3138
American Indian and Alaska Native38

Surgical dental assistant age breakdown

The average age of surgical dental assistants is 40+ years years old, representing 42% of the surgical dental assistant population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Surgical dental assistant age breakdown

Surgical Dental Assistant YearsPercentages
40+ years42%
30-40 years27%
20-30 years29%

Surgical dental assistant educational attainment

The most common degree for surgical dental assistants is associate degree, with 32% of surgical dental assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 22% and bachelor's degree degree at 12%.
  • Associate, 32%
  • Bachelor's, 22%
  • Diploma, 12%
  • High School Diploma, 10%
  • Other Degrees, 24%

Surgical dental assistants by degree level

Surgical dental assistant degreePercentages
Associate32%
Bachelor's22%
Diploma12%
High School Diploma10%
Other Degrees24%

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Surgical dental assistant wage gap by degree level

According to the data, surgical dental assistants with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $42,905 annually. With a Associate degree, surgical dental assistants earn a median annual income of $42,712 compared to $41,173 for surgical dental assistants with an High School Diploma degree.
$44,000
$43,000
$42,000
$41,000
High School Diploma or Less
Bachelor's Degree
Some College/ Associate Degree
EducationSalary
High School Diploma or Less$41,173
Bachelor's Degree$42,905
Some College/ Associate Degree$42,712

Surgical dental assistant employment statistics

Most surgical dental assistants work for a private in the health care industry.

Company size where surgical dental assistants work

Below, you can see the size of companies where surgical dental assistants work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Surgical dental assistant jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees11%
50 - 100 employees24%
100 - 500 employees24%
500 - 1,000 employees6%
1,000 - 10,000 employees23%
> 10,000 employees12%

Surgical dental assistant jobs by company type

Employees with the surgical dental assistant job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most surgical dental assistants prefer to work at private companies over education companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Surgical dental assistant jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education15%
Public5%
Private75%
Government5%

Surgical dental assistant jobs by industry

The most common industries for surgical dental assistants are health care, education and professional.

Health Care

Education

Professional

Manufacturing

Government

Surgical dental assistant industry statistics

Surgical dental assistant turnover and employment statistics

Surgical dental assistant unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for surgical dental assistants between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Surgical dental assistant unemployment rate by year

YearSurgical dental assistant unemployment rate
20106.40%
20116.02%
20126.48%
20134.50%
20143.59%
20153.37%
20162.86%
20172.92%
20182.56%
20192.55%
20204.23%
20214.10%

Average surgical dental assistant tenure

The average surgical dental assistant stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,012 surgical dental assistants resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Surgical dental assistant tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year19%
1-2 years31%
3-4 years15%
5-7 years18%
8-10 years8%
11+ years10%

Surgical dental assistant LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of surgical dental assistants that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Surgical Dental Assistant4.40%-
Morgue Technician5.81%28,794
Collections Technician7.76%29,390
Medical Transcription-Radiology8.65%47,272
Pharmacist Aide9.41%87,146
Research Animal Attendant9.55%92,247
Reiki Master13.02%20,934

Similar surgical dental assistant jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Morgue Technician5.81%28,794
Collections Technician7.76%29,390
Medical Transcription-Radiology8.65%47,272
Pharmacist Aide9.41%87,146
Research Animal Attendant9.55%92,247
Reiki Master13.02%20,934

Foreign languages spoken by surgical dental assistants

The most common foreign language among surgical dental assistants is Spanish at 48.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Polish at 8.9% and Russian is the third-most popular at 6.7%.
  • Spanish, 48.9%
  • Polish, 8.9%
  • Russian, 6.7%
  • Portuguese, 4.4%
  • German, 4.4%
  • Other, 26.7%

Surgical dental assistant languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish48.9%
Polish8.9%
Russian6.7%
Portuguese4.4%
German4.4%
Other26.7%

Surgical dental assistant jobs

Surgical dental assistant location demographics

Which city has the most Surgical Dental Assistants?

By looking through more than 1,012 resumes, we found that the most popular places for surgical dental assistants are Chicago, IL and New York, NY.
Number of Surgical Dental Assistants

Surgical dental assistant jobs by state

RankStateNumber of jobsAverage salary
1Florida2,063$39,052
2California1,817$42,185
3Texas1,560$33,822
4Georgia724$36,181
5Pennsylvania709$38,189
6Michigan693$36,792
7Ohio691$34,437
8Washington675$43,462
9New York653$39,682
10Illinois640$37,226
11Massachusetts604$42,265
12Colorado575$40,611
13Wisconsin568$34,518
14Minnesota539$47,918
15North Carolina521$35,200
16Arizona490$38,453
17Tennessee454$35,392
18Indiana437$37,299
19Virginia396$39,692
20New Jersey369$41,039
21Missouri361$32,969
22South Carolina301$36,710
23Maryland282$40,870
24Oregon279$46,104
25Connecticut258$39,568
26Kentucky258$32,015
27Oklahoma206$30,876
28Louisiana202$31,442
29Iowa189$38,153
30Kansas165$35,174
31Alabama151$30,176
32New Mexico141$33,352
33Nevada129$39,179
34Arkansas125$33,832
35New Hampshire124$39,383
36Utah121$34,146
37Nebraska117$33,371
38Maine108$37,194
39Idaho103$35,585
40Mississippi102$29,077
41West Virginia83$31,299
42Alaska71$47,586
43Montana71$32,146
44North Dakota55$42,588
45Hawaii52$44,638
46District of Columbia49$36,221
47South Dakota48$33,242
48Rhode Island45$39,760
49Vermont26$39,879
50Wyoming23$44,320
51Delaware20$38,402

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