Top Paying Industries for Dental Assistants

Latest numbers suggest dental assistants working in government have highest average pay compared to peers in other industries.

If you're having a hard time picturing a dental assistant anywhere outside of a dentist's office, you wouldn't be the only one. In fact, of the nearly 355,000 dental assistants in the country, 90% of them work in the offices of dentists. So what about the rest? As it turns out, dental assistants work in a variety of industries, including doctor's offices, outpatient care centers, nursing homes, as well as federal, state, and local governments.

As with any occupation, the industry in which you work has an effect on how much you're paid. According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), dental assistants that work for government agencies come out on top, with average annual wages of $44,940. Of these, the ones that work for state governments make even more, at $50,080 a year. Private dentist's offices pay their assistants around $41,180 on average.

Here are the top 5 paying industries for dental assistants:

1. State Government - $50,080
2. Nursing Care Facilities - $46,370
3. Other Ambulatory Health Care Services - $46,090
4. Company & Enterprise Management - $46,010
5. General Medical & Surgical Hospitals - $45,620