25 Best States For Dental Assistants

Even if you have a fear of dentists, you might be interested to know more about the best states for dental assistants.

I hate going to the dentist. It’s not the whole process of dental work and dental cleanings that I hate — it’s the fact that the dentist always wants to have a conversation. There’s no way I can have conversations with someone who has their fingers and sharp, cold metal in my gums. I’m terrified of being stabbed mostly, but also I can’t form words so I don’t see a point in trying to humor speaking to the dentist. I swear they only ask questions just so they can make fun of how you try to respond after you leave. It’s a little bit mean. Not to mention the fluoride stuff they put on your teeth in the duck beak thing tastes absolutely disgusting. They told me it was cherry cheesecake, but it actually just tasted like dish soap.

Dental assistants do all the grunt work for dentists. Mostly they do the x-rays before the dentist comes in so the actual dentist can interpret them. They also do the general nurse-type duties like take patients into rooms and get them set up before their appointment begins. Dental assistants are often studying to become dentists or they complete less schooling. Most of the time, however, they’re dental students. It works well as a general career option, as you’ll see from the following list. If you’re looking to be a dentist and reel in the big bucks, though, check out the Highest-Paying Countries for Dentists. 

In order to create this list of best states for dental assistants, we checked out the average annual salary from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the cost of living index from Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. We also found out how many people are employed as dental assistants in each state for reference. It’s not just the salary that’s important when compiling a list like this; the cost of living index matters as well. If it’s expensive to live in a state, then your salary has less impact; therefore, we took the average of the salary and cost of living index to rank the states.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the best states for dental assistants.

25. Pennsylvania

Annual median pay: $33,970

Cost of living: 102.8

Employment: 11,640

24. Maryland

Annual median pay: $38,620

Cost of living: 125

Employment: 5,500

23. Oklahoma

Annual median pay: $32,390

Cost of living: 88.6

Employment: 4,360

22. Missouri

Annual median pay: $33,170

Cost of living: 90.4

Employment: 5,250

21. Kentucky

Annual median pay: $33,470

Cost of living: 90.8

Employment: 4,410

20. Oregon

Annual median pay: $41,730

Cost of living: 115.4

Employment: 4,910

19. California

Annual median pay: $37,090

Cost of living: 134.8

Employment: 49,210

18. Colorado

Annual median pay: $37,340

Cost of living: 102.1

Employment: 6,080

17. Massachusetts

Annual median pay: $42,070

Cost of living: 134.7

Employment: 7,370

16. Arizona

Annual median pay: $35,940

Cost of living: 98.1

Employment: 6,820

15. Wisconsin

Annual median pay: $36,360

Cost of living: 96.9

Employment: 5,570

14. Iowa

Annual median pay: $37,610

Cost of living: 91.7

Employment: 3,260

13. New Jersey

Annual median pay: $39,670

Cost of living: 121

Employment: 9,640

12. Virginia

Annual median pay: $36,840

Cost of living: 100.2

Employment: 8,460

We’re halfway through our list of best states for dental assistants, so, let’s check out the other half, shall we?

11. Florida

Annual median pay: $35,070

Cost of living: 99

Employment: 17,350

10. Minnesota

Annual median pay: $44,030

Cost of living: 5,520

Employment: 101.1

9. Tennessee

Annual median pay: $34,990

Cost of living: 89.8

Employment: 5,720

8. Washington

Annual median pay: $40,250

Cost of living: 107.1

Employment: 9,870

7. Ohio

Annual median pay: $35,460

Cost of living: 93

Employment: 10,460

6. Georgia

Annual median pay: $35,750

Cost of living: 91.4

Employment: 9,770

5. Illinois

Annual median pay: $36,620

Cost of living: 95.5

Employment: 13,200

4. Indiana

Annual median pay: $35,590

Cost of living: 87.9

Employment: 5,550

3. North Carolina

Annual median pay: $37,750

Cost of living: 94.2

Employment: 8,910

2. Texas

Annual median pay: $34,390

Cost of living: 90.7

Employment: 26,380

1. Michigan

Annual median pay: $34,740

Cost of living: 88.2

Employment: 9,160

That concludes our list of the best states for dental assistants. If you’re looking to study dentistry and want to find a good place to be a dental assistant to work during school, this should be a great resource.