No stress, less obligations, attractive working environment, flexible schedules and competitive salary. These are just a few of the benefits if one is working or would like to work as a dental assistant. Whether you are planning to pursue dentistry or simply have it as a regular day job, I can say it offers more perks compared to other medically-related day jobs.
According to the latest data given out by Bureau of Labor Statistics dated May 2009, the median hourly wage of a dental assistant is about $15.98 and an annual salary of $33,230. In the United States, the following are the top states offering the highest dental assistant salary (in random order):
• Alaska
• Connecticut
• District of Columbia
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• New Hampshire
Hourly wage ranges from $19-$20 per hour and has a yearly income of $40,000-$45,000. This data depends on many factors as well. Here are a few factors affecting dental assistant salary:
• By state – Most urban areas offer higher salaries compared to the rural or countryside regions.
• Availability/demand – More dentists require more assistants. On an average, one dentist should have at least two dental assistant. One focused on doing administrative tasks and the other doing lab and medically-related duties.
• Experience – The more experience you have, the higher salary will be offered. Most especially if you have been assigned to almost all duties and responsibilities as a dental assistant.
• School attended and Training – Some schools offer special courses on safety procedures, imaging (x-ray), and other basic dental-related tasks. Most dentists prefer that you are a passer of the Dental Assistant National Board.
• Industry – Most dental assistants still prefer to work in dental clinics. Although working in an executive company is also gaining popularity since it provides more benefits. Other industries include medical universities and professional schools, hospitals, and public health offices/clinics.
According to statistics, demand for dental related opportunities like dental assistants will rise in the coming years. This is the reason why expectations in dental assistant salary will also continue to increase as years go by. They can either pursue dentistry, run their own dental clinic or get the right training and certification to train aspirants as well. So if you decide to become a dental assistant, you can never go wrong in this industry. All you have to do is be the best in what you do and get as much experience and training for you to get that highest dental assistant salary that you’ve been wanting.
