Best programs to become a dental assistant
You do not need a college degree to become a dental assistant. BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award (a certificate) as the typical entry-level education. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Dental Assisting/Assistant (IPEDS completions).
1 college program at 561 schools trains dental assistants, graduating 16,103 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $48,070 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About dental assistants
Perform limited clinical duties under the direction of a dentist. Clinical duties may include equipment preparation and sterilization, preparing patients for treatment, assisting the dentist during treatment, and providing patients with instructions for oral healthcare procedures. May perform administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes.
Dental assistants are members of the dental team. They support a dental operator in providing more efficient dental treatment. Dental assistants are distinguished from other groups of dental auxiliaries by differing training, roles and patient scopes.
Read more on Wikipedia →Best programs to study to become a dental assistant
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dental Assisting/Assistantmain feeder CIP 51.0601 | 16,103 | 100.0% | 561 | $28,924 | $10,782 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Compu - Med Vocational Careers Corp Hialeah, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 429 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 81% | $22,487 | — |
| 2 | Concorde Career College - Memphis Memphis, TN Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 225 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 55% | $23,740 | 95% |
| 3 | Carrington College - Sacramento Sacramento, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 175 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 51% | $38,203 | — |
| 4 | The College of Health Care Professions - Northwest Houston, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 166 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 47% | $28,425 | — |
| 5 | High Desert Medical College Lancaster, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 152 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 68% | $28,838 | — |
| 6 | Delta Technical College - Mississippi Horn Lake, MS Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 142 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 71% | $18,202 | — |
| 7 | NUC University Bayamon, PR Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 141 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 54% | $9,377 | — |
| 8 | United Education Institute - Morrow Morrow, GA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 134 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 51% | $34,631 | — |
| 9 | UEI College - Riverside Riverside, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 131 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 71% | $27,181 | — |
| 10 | West Los Angeles College Culver City, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 125 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 28% | — | — |
| 11 | Concorde Career College - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 114 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 76% | $24,160 | 98% |
| 12 | Century College White Bear Lake, MN Public · 1 feeder program | 113 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 31% | — | — |
| 13 | UEI College - Chula Vista Chula Vista, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 112 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 71% | $28,465 | — |
| 14 | Mountainland Technical College Lehi, UT Public · 1 feeder program | 111 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 84% | — | — |
| 15 | Concorde Career Institute - Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 110 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 47% | $28,466 | 94% |
| 16 | Northwest Career College Las Vegas, NV Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 110 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 68% | $15,787 | — |
| 17 | United Education Institute - Stone Mountain Stone Mountain, GA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 110 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 56% | $33,803 | — |
| 18 | Hennepin Technical College Brooklyn Park, MN Public · 1 feeder program | 109 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 42% | — | — |
| 19 | UEI College - Phoenix Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 105 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 57% | $32,886 | — |
| 20 | Concorde Career College - San Antonio San Antonio, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 103 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 69% | $28,395 | 95% |
| 21 | MedQuest College Louisville, KY Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 102 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 59% | $19,900 | — |
| 22 | UEI College - Huntington Park Huntington Park, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 102 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 70% | $29,313 | — |
| 23 | Porter & Chester Institute Bridgeport, CT Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 101 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 45% | $18,216 | — |
| 24 | Concorde Career Institute - Orlando Orlando, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 100 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 69% | $34,100 | 90% |
| 25 | Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN Public · 1 feeder program | 98 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 40% | — | — |
| 26 | Pima Medical Institute - Tucson Tucson, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 98 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 72% | — | — |
| 27 | UEI College - Fresno Fresno, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 98 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 61% | $30,005 | — |
| 28 | American Career College - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 97 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 75% | $28,906 | — |
| 29 | UEI College - Sacramento Sacramento, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 97 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 60% | $28,742 | — |
| 30 | Carrington College - Phoenix North Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 92 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 62% | — | — |
| 31 | Carrington College - San Jose San Jose, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 91 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 60% | $32,608 | — |
| 32 | UEI College - Stockton Stockton, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 91 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 71% | $27,036 | — |
| 33 | Concorde Career College - San Diego San Diego, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 90 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 76% | $25,970 | 100% |
| 34 | Concorde Career College - Portland Portland, OR Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 88 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | — | — | — |
| 35 | Concorde Career College - Grand Prairie Grand Prairie, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 87 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 55% | $26,239 | 100% |
| 36 | Herzing University - Minneapolis St. Louis Park, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 85 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 47% | $16,383 | 94% |
| 37 | UEI College - Ontario Ontario, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 85 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 66% | $27,167 | — |
| 38 | American Career College - Anaheim Anaheim, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 83 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 70% | $28,590 | — |
| 39 | Carrington College - Mesa Mesa, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 81 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 54% | $48,051 | — |
| 40 | Charter College Anchorage, AK Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 79 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 56% | $26,789 | — |
| 41 | Pima Medical Institute - Houston Houston, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 79 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 71% | $20,583 | — |
| 42 | UEI College - Gardena Gardena, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 78 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 60% | $28,919 | — |
| 43 | American Career College - Ontario Ontario, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 77 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 66% | $31,076 | — |
| 44 | New York School for Medical and Dental Assistants Long Island City, NY Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 76 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 65% | $15,390 | — |
| 45 | The College of Health Care Professions - South San Antonio San Antonio, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 76 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 73% | $29,205 | — |
| 46 | Fortis College - Landover Landover, MD Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 75 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 47% | $29,108 | — |
| 47 | The College of Health Care Professions - McAllen Campus McAllen, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 75 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 77% | $26,617 | — |
| 48 | Midwest Technical Institute - Illinois Springfield, IL Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 74 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 69% | $28,377 | — |
| 49 | Concorde Career College - Garden Grove Garden Grove, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 73 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 84% | $23,570 | 97% |
| 50 | UEI College - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 73 | Dental Assisting/Assistant | 68% | $29,687 | — |
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What dental assistants earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $50,110 | 56,220 | 1.24× | 82 | 3,697 |
| Texas | $45,430 | 33,230 | 0.95× | 33 | 1,377 |
| Florida | $47,620 | 26,620 | 1.07× | 39 | 1,292 |
| Arizona | $49,000 | 8,680 | 1.07× | 17 | 755 |
| Georgia | $46,840 | 10,540 | 0.86× | 18 | 639 |
| Tennessee | $46,720 | 7,420 | 0.91× | 18 | 585 |
| Minnesota | $65,270 | 5,980 | 0.81× | 12 | 564 |
| Ohio | $47,970 | 12,150 | 0.88× | 34 | 463 |
| Michigan | $48,820 | 11,990 | 1.09× | 23 | 358 |
| North Carolina | $50,380 | 11,450 | 0.93× | 20 | 349 |
| Washington | $58,090 | 13,050 | 1.47× | 13 | 330 |
| Colorado | $48,340 | 8,360 | 1.17× | 12 | 306 |
| New Jersey | $49,390 | 9,990 | 0.93× | 11 | 301 |
| Wisconsin | $47,520 | 7,760 | 1.06× | 15 | 301 |
| Illinois | $48,610 | 13,740 | 0.90× | 14 | 296 |
| Nevada | $47,110 | 4,230 | 1.09× | 8 | 289 |
| Indiana | $48,670 | 6,690 | 0.84× | 12 | 271 |
| Oregon | $59,490 | 5,930 | 1.21× | 10 | 264 |
| New York | $48,110 | 19,800 | 0.82× | 11 | 249 |
| Mississippi | $39,160 | 3,080 | 1.06× | 6 | 238 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,930 | 12,080 | 0.80× | 16 | 234 |
| Utahmoderate | $37,760 | 6,640 | 1.54× | 4 | 220 |
| Alabama | $39,080 | 3,740 | 0.71× | 11 | 203 |
| Louisiana | $44,090 | 4,540 | 0.94× | 11 | 201 |
| Iowa | $48,430 | 3,210 | 0.83× | 9 | 192 |
| South Carolina | $47,320 | 5,530 | 0.96× | 10 | 188 |
| Missouri | $45,970 | 6,760 | 0.92× | 7 | 187 |
| Kentucky | $47,730 | 4,530 | 0.91× | 5 | 157 |
| Virginia | $46,670 | 10,760 | 1.05× | 10 | 150 |
| Connecticutmoderate | $56,850 | 3,840 | 0.91× | 4 | 145 |
| Oklahoma | $45,740 | 4,550 | 1.07× | 6 | 138 |
| Marylandmoderate | $48,620 | 6,560 | 0.95× | 4 | 135 |
| New Mexico | $44,400 | 2,150 | 0.99× | 8 | 131 |
| Idahomoderate | $45,880 | 2,680 | 1.25× | 4 | 104 |
| Alaskamoderate | $57,710 | 1,140 | 1.40× | 3 | 91 |
| Massachusetts | $57,980 | 9,680 | 1.07× | 9 | 86 |
| South Dakotamoderate | $47,900 | 1,290 | 1.13× | 3 | 68 |
| Arkansasmoderate | $42,830 | 2,950 | 0.91× | 3 | 63 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $50,150 | 1,050 | 0.84× | 2 | 60 |
| Nebraskamoderate | $46,660 | 2,520 | 0.99× | 3 | 54 |
| West Virginia | $37,960 | 1,290 | 0.74× | 7 | 47 |
| Montanalimited | $46,680 | 1,450 | 1.14× | 1 | 26 |
| Mainelimited | $60,070 | 1,550 | 0.97× | 1 | 22 |
| North Dakotalimited | $57,770 | 860 | 0.80× | 1 | 19 |
| Hawaiilimited | $44,720 | 1,960 | 1.25× | 1 | 11 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $59,530 | 1,600 | 0.94× | 1 | 7 |
| Delawarelimited | $47,600 | 990 | 0.82× | 1 | 6 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.
- Record treatment information in patient records.
- Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies.
- Order and monitor dental supplies and equipment inventory.
- Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.
- Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.
- Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs.
- Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.
Skills
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.4
- Reading Comprehension3.3
- Active Learning3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Writing3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Learning Strategies2.5
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service4.5
- Medicine and Dentistry4.4
- English Language3.8
- Administration and Management3.5
- Administrative3.5
- Computers and Electronics3.3
Abilities
- Near Vision4.1
- Oral Expression4.0
- Oral Comprehension3.9
- Speech Recognition3.8
- Written Comprehension3.5
- Deductive Reasoning3.4
Core activities
- Getting Information4.5
- Assisting and Caring for Others4.5
- Working with Computers4.5
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.4
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.2
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public4.2
How to get in
How to become a dental assistant
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Dental Assistants1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 51.0601Dental Assisting/Assistant
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a dental assistant?+
You do not need a college degree to become a dental assistant. BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award (a certificate) as the typical entry-level education. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Dental Assisting/Assistant (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming a dental assistant?+
The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Dental Assisting/Assistant (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 program to this job, which graduates about 16,103 people a year.
How much do dental assistants earn?+
The median is $48,070 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $37,130 at the 10th percentile to $62,250 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for dental assistants growing?+
BLS projects a +6.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 52,900 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
561 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 program that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do dental assistants work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Dental Assistant (DA), Certified Dental Assistant (CDA), Registered Dental Assistant (RDA), Expanded Duty Dental Assistant (EDDA) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 31-9091.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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