Salary by Location

• Some areas of the country offer a higher wage for registered dental assistants. Of the top five highest-paying districts and states, the District of Columbia comes in first with a mean, or average, hourly wage of $21.94 and an annual wage of $45,630 as of 2009, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Alaska, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Massachusetts follow, with average hourly wages ranging from $20.99 to $19.58 and annual compensation ranging from $43,670 to $40,730. The top-paying metro areas include Santa Rosa-Petaluma, California; Manchester, New Hampshire; Anchorage, Alaska; Taunton-Norton-Raynham, Massachusetts; and Waterbury, Connecticut.
  
  

Salary by Employer

• Organizations employing registered dental assistants include private dental practices, specialty practices with a focus on oral surgery or orthodontics, public health clinics and hospital dental clinics, according to the American Dental Association. Wages vary widely. State and local governments and private practices typically offer the highest pay with average 2010 salaries of $36,606 and $34,307, respectively, according to PayScale. Hospitals and school districts offer wages at the lower end of the scale with average salaries of $29,148 and $25,345, respectively.
  
  

Salary by Experience

• Registered dental assistant wages rise considerably over time. Those with less than one year of experience earn $30,000 as of 2010, notes PayScale, while registered dental assistants with 10 to 19 years of experience make $35,819. After 20 years in the field, these professionals can earn $39,192 a year. With experience, registered dental assistants can move into higher-paying positions with dental school clinics, where they assist practicing dental students with procedures; dental product companies, where they serve as sales reps; and technical or vocational institutes, where they teach beginning students.
  
  

Job Outlook

• Registered dental assistants face a favorable job market, according to the BLS. The number of dental assistant positions is expected to increase by 36 percent to 400,900 jobs in 2018 from 295,300 in 2008. With a growing population, the need for elderly and child dental care will rise, opening the door to registered dental assistants with experience in multiple procedures and office management.