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Dental assistant programs
593 colleges and career schools report dental assistant programs to IPEDS, with 15,556 completions in 2023-24.
Programs listed
593
all states
Middle program cost
$16,500
$15,190 to $19,900, IPEDS
Middle length
9 months
195 certificates, IPEDS
Median pay
$48,070
dental assistants, BLS May 2025
On state WIOA lists
1,020
programs, U.S. DOL file
Dental Assistant Programs by state
| State | Programs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 3 | $57,710 |
| Alabama | 11 | $39,080 |
| Arkansas | 3 | $42,830 |
| Arizona | 16 | $49,000 |
| California | 87 | $50,110 |
| Colorado | 12 | $48,340 |
| Connecticut | 4 | $56,850 |
| Delaware | 1 | $47,600 |
| Florida | 43 | $47,620 |
| Georgia | 18 | $46,840 |
| Hawaii | 1 | $44,720 |
| Iowa | 9 | $48,430 |
| Idaho | 4 | $45,880 |
| Illinois | 13 | $48,610 |
| Indiana | 12 | $48,670 |
| Kansas | 2 | Not published |
| Kentucky | 5 | $47,730 |
| Louisiana | 11 | $44,090 |
| Massachusetts | 8 | $57,980 |
| Maryland | 6 | $48,620 |
| Maine | 1 | $60,070 |
| Michigan | 23 | $48,820 |
| Minnesota | 13 | $65,270 |
| Missouri | 8 | $45,970 |
| Mississippi | 6 | $39,160 |
| Montana | 2 | $46,680 |
| North Carolina | 20 | $50,380 |
| North Dakota | 1 | $57,770 |
| Nebraska | 4 | $46,660 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | $59,530 |
| New Jersey | 14 | $49,390 |
| New Mexico | 8 | $44,400 |
| Nevada | 8 | $47,110 |
| New York | 12 | $48,110 |
| Ohio | 38 | $47,970 |
| Oklahoma | 8 | $45,740 |
| Oregon | 11 | $59,490 |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | $47,930 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | $50,150 |
| South Carolina | 10 | $47,320 |
| South Dakota | 3 | $47,900 |
| Tennessee | 19 | $46,720 |
| Texas | 35 | $45,430 |
| Utah | 5 | $37,760 |
| Virginia | 11 | $46,670 |
| Washington | 15 | $58,090 |
| Wisconsin | 14 | $47,520 |
| West Virginia | 7 | $37,960 |
Programs counts IPEDS schools. Median pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual.
Dental Assistant Programs in the largest metro areas
- Los Angeles area29 programs · median pay $46,900
- New York area16 programs · median pay $48,430
- Riverside area12 programs · median pay $48,500
- Miami area11 programs · median pay $47,860
- San Francisco area10 programs · median pay $64,390
- Cleveland area9 programs · median pay $47,800
- Dallas area8 programs · median pay $47,570
- Houston area8 programs · median pay $43,730
- Chicago area7 programs · median pay $48,950
- San Diego area7 programs · median pay $58,120
- Tampa area7 programs · median pay $46,890
- Cincinnati area6 programs · median pay $49,590
- Philadelphia area6 programs · median pay $49,570
- San Antonio area5 programs · median pay $45,920
Paying for dental assistant training
Dental assistant questions, answered from the data
How long is dental assistant training?
Among 195 certificate programs that report a length to IPEDS, the middle one takes 9 months; half take between 8 months and 10 months. Clock-hour programs run 600 to 960 hours (middle 845).
How much does a dental assistant program cost?
The middle whole-program tuition among 195 certificate programs reporting one to IPEDS for 2024-25 is $16,500; half cost between $15,190 and $19,900.
What do dental assistants earn?
The national median annual wage for dental assistants was $48,070 in May 2025 ($23 an hour), from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics; the lowest-paid tenth earned under $37,130.