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Dental assistants are associated with dental caregivers who work alongside dentists. According to the state in which they are working, their obligations and training vary widely. Some assistants provide administrative services, while others assist the professional while working. It does not fulfill the tasks of a dental hygienist and should not be confused with them. The pay for dental assistants varies significantly according to their geographic situation and the type of dental office in which they work.
National Payments
Approximately 40% of dental assistants worked part time in 2010, according to the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics). The average work time for dental assistants in the United States, including full-time and part-time workers, was US $ 16.42 as of May 2011. The lowest 10% earned less than US $ 11.10 per hour while the highest 10% earned $ 22.80 per hour. The annual average for a dental assistant was US $ 34,140.
Regional salaries
Approximately 15% of the 296,810 dental assistants in the country worked in California as of May 2011, according to the BLS. California-based dental assistants were paid an average of US $ 17.51 per hour. Those who worked in Utah earned $ 13.84 per hour, while those who worked in the District of Columbia earned $ 23.09 per hour. Those who worked in the Idaho Falls, the metropolitan area of Idaho, earned US $ 12.82 per hour, while those who were in the metropolitan area of southwestern New Hampshire earned US $ 21.35.
Job type
More than 92% of dental assistants worked in dentists’ offices, where they earned an average of US $ 16.69 per hour as of May 2011, according to the BLS. Those who worked for the insurers were those who obtained a higher pay with US $ 19.68 being the hourly payment. Those who worked in the offices earned $ 15.74 per hour, while those who worked for the federal executive branch of the government earned $ 18.35.
Training and employment opportunities
There is no standard national training for dental assistants. Each state regulates the minimum educational and training requirements, as well as the obligations they must meet. Some states require dental assistants to be licensed or certified. The BLS projects a 31% increase in the number of jobs offered between 2010 and 2020; If so, the occupation of dental assistant would become one of the fastest growing in the country.