Dental assistants

Detailed Occupation

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2020 Workforce

305k

Average Age

37.3

Estimated Job Growth

6.6%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$33,149

Average Male Salary

$59,698

Average Female Salary

$31,431

About

Dental assistants are most often employed by the Offices of dentists industry. The average yearly wage for Dental assistants was $33,149 in 2020.

The locations that employ the most Dental assistants are Outer Green Bay City PUMA, WI, Doña Ana County (Outer) PUMA, NM, and Sweetwater RegionChula Vista City (East) PUMA, CA. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Dental assistants are Doña Ana County (Outer) PUMA, NM, Lynn City, Swampscott & Nahant Towns PUMA, MA, and Boise (North & West) & Garden City Cities PUMA, ID.

Photo by Germanna CC

Healthcare Support Occupations Service Occupations

Employment and salary information for the Dental assistants workforce. Dental assistants workforce in 2020 was 304,982 people, of which 93.9% were women and 6.08% were men. Dental assistants are paid most in Livermore, Pleasanton & Dublin Cities PUMA, CA but are relatively concentrated in Doña Ana County (Outer) PUMA, NM.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

18,535

Male Workforce

± 3.34k

286,447

Female Workforce

± 13.1k

The Dental assistants workforce in 2020 was 304,982 people (93.9% women and 6.08% men). This implies an average annual growth of 8.83% between 2014 (280,240) and 2020 (304,982).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Dental assistants.

During 2020, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were District of Columbia ($43,275), Rhode Island ($42,690), and Alaska ($41,515).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$33,149

AVERAGE WAGE

#421 in the ranking (2020)

$55,954

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2020, Dental assistants earned an average of $33,149, $22,805 less than the average national salary of $55,954

The graph shows the ranking of Dental assistants in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2020.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.304

WAGE GINI

In 2020, Dental assistants had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.304, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Dental assistants (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Dental assistants compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Dental assistants and on wages for those in the field. Offices of dentists is the industry that employs the most Dental assistants, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Dental assistants, by average wage, is Administration of human resource programs ($76,497).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

305k

2020 Workforce

± 13,545

0.413%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 6.26%

This graphic shows the share of Dental assistants employed by various industries. Offices of dentists employs the largest share of Dental assistants at 98%, followed by General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 1.11% and Outpatient care centers with 0.909%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Dental assistants in the US. The workforce of Dental assistants in 2020 was 304,982 people, with 93.9% woman, and 6.08% men. The average age of male Dental assistants in the workforce is 35.5 and of female Dental assistants is 37.4, and the most common race/ethnicity for Dental assistants is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Dental assistants in 2020 was 304,982 people, with 93.9% woman, and 6.08% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 25 to 29 years (56,474 people), 20 to 24 years (47,410 people), and 30 to 34 years (43,184 people). Among them they concentrated 48.3% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2020, 26.3% of Dental assistants workers were Hispanic and 73.7% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (83.4%), Puerto Rican (10.7)%, and Cuban (5.89)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2020, 72.3% of the Dental assistants workforce were White, of which 95.8% were women and 4.2% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Other (7.92%) and Black (6.99%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Dental assistants from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Dental assistants is Health but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2020 were Science Technologies.

Among the necessary skills for Dental assistants, Active Listening stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Dental assistants need more than the average amount of Equipment Selection.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Dental assistants in 2020 (counting all academic degrees) were Health (8,783 people), Biology (4,371 people), and Business (3,845 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Dental assistants workers were Some college (123,060 people), High School or Equivalent (80,169 people), and Associates Degree (57,889 people).

The graphic shows the Dental assistants workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Dental assistants from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dental assistants need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Dental Assistants from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Dental Assistants are expected to see a growth of 6.6% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

6.6%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Dental assistants. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.