Average Salary

• In May 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS, conducted a survey of employment throughout the United States. It reported that the average annual salary for a dental assistant was $34,000, equivalent to $2,833 a month and $16.35 per hour. It listed the average yearly wage for a dental hygienist as $67,860, which translates into $5,655 a month and $32.63 an hour. In 2011, PayScale listed the average dental assistant wage at between $23,773 and $34,763, and that for dental hygienists at between $55,974 and $77,244.
  
  

Salary by Industry

• The BLS reported that for dental assistants working in the offices of dentists --- the industry sector that employs the most practitioners --- the average salary was $34,010. For those employed in the offices of physicians, the rate was $30,930, while general medical and surgical hospitals were listed at an average of $34,910. For dental hygienists, the offices of dentists paid an average of $68,160, while the offices of physicians were listed at $61,740. Outpatient care centers paid an average of $68,100, while general medical and surgical hospitals were listed at $57,570.
  
  

Salary by Location

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2009 survey, Alaska and Minnesota are among the states in which, across all industry sectors, a dental assistant is likely to secure the best wages, paying averages of $43,670 and $41,510, respectively. Idaho was listed at $29,020. The most lucrative metropolitan area was the Santa Rosa/Petaluma district of California at $46,740, while Logan, Utah, was listed at $23,090. For dental hygienists, the most lucrative locations were Alaska at state levels at $96,280, and the Santa Rosa/Petaluma area at metropolitan levels at $112,290. Among the lowest-paying locations were Michigan at $59,640 and the metropolitan area of Flint in that state at $52,460.
  
  

Outlook

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a bright outlook for both dental assistants and dental hygienists. It estimates that between 2008 and 2018, employment opportunities for both occupations will increase by 36 percent, considerably more than the national average, expected to be between 7 and 13 percent. An expanding, aging population, with middle-aged and elderly people retaining their teeth for longer, will fuel this growth. As such, salary levels should remain competitive in the immediate future.