The cost of living in Minnesota, the highest-paying state for dental assistants, is $45,864 for a single adult with no children.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics updated its salary data for dental jobs to reflect 2024 information April 2. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge updated its cost of living calculator Feb. 10.
Here is how the average annual salary for dental assistants compares to the cost of living in each state:
Note: Salary information was taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The minimum cost of living in each state was provided by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator. The cost of living is for a single adult with no children before taxes.
| State | Average salary | Cost of living |
| Alabama | $39,600 | $42,632 |
| Alaska | $54,720 | $50,146 |
| Arizona | $50,040 | $50,804 |
| Arkansas | $40,730 | $40,540 |
| California | $53,570 | $59,740 |
| Colorado | N/A | $52,981 |
| Connecticut | $51,540 | $52,581 |
| Delaware | $47,110 | $48,743 |
| Florida | $46,670 | $48,683 |
| Georgia | $45,510 | $49,790 |
| Hawaii | $42,130 | $62,233 |
| Idaho | $42,710 | $48,216 |
| Illinois | $47,170 | $49,011 |
| Indiana | $49,590 | $43,280 |
| Iowa | $49,020 | $43,454 |
| Kansas | $42,490 | $43,797 |
| Kentucky | $45,720 | $41,795 |
| Louisiana | $41,450 | $42,663 |
| Maine | $54,190 | $48,292 |
| Maryland | $50,410 | $54,427 |
| Massachusetts | $56,790 | $60,080 |
| Michigan | $45,990 | $43,610 |
| Minnesota | $63,680 | $45,864 |
| Mississippi | $40,160 | $43,159 |
| Missouri | $45,390 | $43,413 |
| Montana | $45,930 | $46,431 |
| Nebraska | $46,300 | $43,655 |
| Nevada | $47,320 | $49,599 |
| New Hampshire | $52,850 | $51,552 |
| New Jersey | $50,570 | $54,503 |
| New Mexico | $42,290 | $43,710 |
| New York | $49,850 | $57,337 |
| North Carolina | $49,270 | $46,875 |
| North Dakota | $54,720 | $41,148 |
| Ohio | $50,960 | $42,400 |
| Oklahoma | $42,980 | $42,135 |
| Oregon | $57,690 | $52,328 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,760 | $47,657 |
| Rhode Island | $51,700 | $50,669 |
| South Carolina | $45,890 | $46,081 |
| South Dakota | $49,080 | $41,081 |
| Tennessee | $46,680 | $45,735 |
| Texas | $42,520 | $45,386 |
| Utah | $40,260 | $49,737 |
| Vermont | $54,570 | $49,826 |
| Virginia | $47,900 | $53,353 |
| Washington | $56,140 | $54,828 |
| Washington, D.C. | $57,390 | $54,034 |
| West Virginia | $39,280 | $40,415 |
| Wisconsin | $49,240 | $43,601 |
| Wyoming | $43,740 | $43,974 |
