Are you thinking about becoming a dental assistant, but want to learn more about this career and the dental assistant salary before doing so? If so, you may have many questions about the nature of the work, the projected job outlook, training that is needed and the salary you should expect to make. If your questions surround the dental assistant salary range, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that those in this field make a decent wage for a single person. Of course, this will depend in part on the part of the country in which you live along with other factors.
As of May 2008 the median annual wage for a dental assistant was $32,380. What exactly does this number mean though? The median is a boundary line between the top 50% of salaries and the bottom 50%. In other words, if you take the salaries of every worker in this field and list them from highest to lowest, the median wage line would fall right in the middle dividing this list into two equal halves. This is just one way to look at the dental assistant salary.
You may also want to consider the fact that the middle 50% of dental assistants make between $26,980 and $38,960. Those who made the most in this field, or those in the top ten percent, earned more than $46,150. In contrast, those in the bottom ten percent made less than $22,270. Your dental assistant salary will depend in large part on what type of practice you work in. Most work in a dental office, but you may find a position with either the federal, state or local government. Some physicians are now hiring dental assistants to work in their offices also as dental health and overall physical health are directly linked.
When considering a dental assistant salary, you need to consider more than just the actual wages you will be paid. Benefits can vary significantly from job to job and these need to be factored in also. Approximately 86%, in 2008, received paid vacation and over 50% received health benefits. Both may depend in part on whether you work full or part time. Overall though, when considering the dental assistant salary, it appears to be a job that pays a decent wage for the training required.