Dental Assistants
Health ScienceO*NET 31-9091.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $47,830
- Projected change
- +10.3%
- Typical education
- Certificate
- Employment
- 400.7K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
46% of the workforce
Growing to 442.01K by 2035
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Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What dental assistants do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.
- Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.
- Order and monitor dental supplies and equipment inventory.
- Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs.
- Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.
- Apply protective coating of fluoride to teeth.
- Schedule appointments, prepare bills and receive payment for dental services, complete insurance forms, and maintain records, manually or using computer.
- Make preliminary impressions for study casts and occlusal registrations for mounting study casts.
- Pour, trim, and polish study casts.
- Fabricate temporary restorations or custom impressions from preliminary impressions.
- Clean and polish removable appliances.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $36,417
- 25th percentile
- $43,856
- 50th percentile
- $47,830
- 75th percentile
- $57,989
- 90th percentile
- $63,920
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $47,830 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+10.3%faster than average
2025400,698 jobs
2035 projected442,010 jobs
41,312 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Certificate
- 46%
- High school diploma or less
- 28.6%
- Some college
- 17.1%
- Associate degree
- 8.3%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Dental Assistants44,724 postings
- 02Registered Dental Assistants7,436 postings
- 03Orthodontic Assistants3,724 postings
- 04Orthodontic Dental Assistants2,062 postings
- 05Expanded Duties Dental Assistants2,024 postings
- 06Pediatric Dental Assistants1,677 postings
- 07Oral Surgery Assistants1,370 postings
- 08Dental Office Assistants - Business Assistant1,225 postings
- 09Expanded Function Dental Assistants1,009 postings
- 10Dental Assistant Instructors949 postings
- 11Lead Dental Assistants945 postings
- 12Experienced Auditors856 postings
- 13Dental Assistants/Receptionist839 postings
- 14Assistant Service Experience Managers802 postings
- 15Endodontic Dental Assistants753 postings
- 16Hygiene Assistants679 postings
- 17Dental Hygiene Assistants672 postings
- 18Training Assistants647 postings
- 19Dental Assistants/Registered Dental Assistants599 postings
- 20Dental Assistants/Front Desk437 postings
Top employers
- 01Heartland Dental2,649 postings
- 02Aspen Dental2,487 postings
- 03Pds Health1,994 postings
- 04Sage Dental696 postings
- 05Affordable Care691 postings
- 06Smile Brands602 postings
- 07Dental Care Alliance506 postings
- 08D4C Dental Brands446 postings
- 09Sonrava Health428 postings
- 10Gentle Dental419 postings
- 11Dentists Of Boise And Orthodontics, PC416 postings
- 12DOCS Health397 postings
- 13Great Expressions Dental Centers314 postings
- 14Benevis271 postings
- 15Community Dental Partners269 postings
- 16Ideal Dental268 postings
- 17Gentle Dental Careers250 postings
- 18Rodeo Dental & Orthodontics242 postings
- 19Chord Specialty Dental205 postings
- 20West Coast Dental Services187 postings
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