Dental assistants earn about $30.17 per hour in Minnesota, the state with the highest average hourly wage for dental assistants, compared to the state's minimum wage of $8.85.
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The average annual salary for dental professions, including dentists, dental hygienists and orthodontists, vary widely from state to state, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The average annual salary for specialty dentists has fluctuated over the past five years, rising from $178,040 in 2019 to $244,470 in 2023, a total increase of more than $66,000, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Dental laboratory technicians earn the most in Massachusetts, where the annual wage for the occupation is $62,180, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Dental hygienists have an average annual salary of $89,890, compared to $128,490 for nurse practitioners, $130,490 for physician assistants and $214,200 for nurse anesthetists, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Dental hygienists earn about $59.38 per hour in Washington, the state with the highest average hourly wage for dental hygienists, compared to the state's minimum wage of $16.28.
The highest-paying metropolitan area for dental assistants is the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif., region, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Dentists earn about $125.18 per hour in Vermont, the state with the highest average hourly wage for dentists, compared to the state's minimum wage of $13.67.
Dental hygienists have an average annual salary of $62,120 in Mississippi, the worst state for healthcare according to U.S. News & World Report.