How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make?

You may have grown tired of your hourly retail job. You may have thought that flipping burgers at the amusement park was something that could have lasted forever. However the time comes when you have to look at your career choices and see what is and what is not working. One of the careers many people are misinformed about is a dental assistant. Dental assistants are always going to be in demand and the starting wages for a dental assistant can be pretty tempting. Let’s look at the question and see just how much a dental assistant makes.

Dental Assistant Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the numbers on dental assistant earnings run a pretty wide range. The bottom 10% of earners makes around $11.64 an hour or $24,220 per year. On the top end of the spectrum in a more densely populated, wealthier urban or suburban area, the dental assistants might make essentially double that amount or $23.25 an hour and $48,350 per year. The median numbers for the earning potential for dental assistants in 2013 was $16.78 an hour and $34,900 per year.

These numbers make a lot of hourly minimum wage jobs look pretty meager. The fact that you may be able to improve your position in life and possibly buy a home, start a family, or just be more comfortable is one of the things which makes taking on a career as a dental assistant quite alluring.

Workers earning below minimum wage and earning tips like servers in restaurants might have better weeks from time to time than those of a dental assistant. However, ask any server and they will tell you that there are weeks where they are just getting seated with duds or no one is coming out to the restaurant at all! That is simply the way it is for so many workers in the food service industry. Generally for those looking for consistent income and job security, the server’s wages are a short-lived thing. Of course you could spend your career in food service, retail or other occupations where the wages are stagnant, the job security is fragile and the hours are taxing, if that is something that you want. All of these negative things are all generally not the case for dental assistant workers who are able to find a good office to work in.

Dental Assistants In Demand

Another interesting fact about dental assistants is that postsecondary degrees are not required. You do need to take some exams, and you may need to be certified for handling different machines and such. You will be providing excellent patient care, working in an office that is most likely only open during daylight hours, and if you are a good worker you will always be in demand.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics says that being a dental assistant is a strong choice for folks looking to take control of their lives and feel more fulfilled in the work they are doing.

If you have ever considered becoming a dental assistant you should know that this is an area where there will always be a pretty big void. There are not enough committed workers, the ones who are there could always use a different set of hands, and the work by and large is full time. The ability to move up even within your own dental office is yet another reason that dental assistants remain a good place to get your dental footing.

Full time work, competitive pay, in an always-growing industry is just another day in the life of an in-demand dental assistant.

Dental Assistants perform a wide range of patient care, office and laboratory duties. You could work chair-side with the dentist to make patients comfortable and prepare patients for treatment. Dental assistants might be called on to make patient files available, sterilize instruments and equipment, prepare tray set-ups for dental procedures and provide postoperative consultation.

For more information about a career in the dental assisting field, or to speak with an admissions representative and apply for career training, contact Centura College today by visiting our Dental Assisting Webpage. You can also learn more about Centura College at our Consumer Information Disclosure page, Your Right to Know.

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