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Dental Assistants in California
Want to work in California as a Dental Assistant? Read this first!
You’re in luck! Jobs for Dental Assistants in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Dental Assistants in California is growing faster than average.
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Dental Assistants in California earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
What Major Will Prepare You For a Dental Assistant Career?
How Many Dental Assistants Work in California?
In California, there were 53,110 people working as Dental Assistants in the year 2018.
There were 50,100 Dental Assistants employed in this state in 2017.
That’s growth of 3,010 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
The typical state has 4,550 Dental Assistants working in it, which means California has more Dental Assistants than average.
Job Projections for California
Jobs for Dental Assistants in this state are growing at a rate of 16.5% which is slower than the nationwide estimated projection of 19.5%.
California Annual Job Openings
The BLS estimates 6,570 annual job openings, and a total of 57,200 jobs for California Dental Assistants in 2026.
Nationwide, the prediction is 45,900 annual jobs and 396,600 total jobs in 2026.
What do Dental Assistants Make in California?
In 2018 wages for Dental Assistants ranged from $26,960 to $58,850 with $38,740 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $12.96 to $28.29. The median hourly rate was $18.63.
In 2017 the median pay for this field was $18.06 an hour.
The hourly rate grew by $0.57.
The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top California Metros for Dental Assistants
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Dental Assistants.
| Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 18,070 | $36,000 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 6,860 | $47,420 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 5,600 | $32,510 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 4,590 | $38,530 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 3,570 | $48,190 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | 3,350 | $41,960 |
| Fresno, CA | 1,240 | $34,230 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 1,060 | $44,650 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 950 | $36,000 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 910 | $34,790 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | 760 | $52,540 |
| Modesto, CA | 660 | $36,700 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 600 | $39,050 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 570 | $46,760 |
| Salinas, CA | 510 | $43,070 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | 470 | $44,150 |
| Visalia-Porterville, CA | 420 | $32,970 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 390 | $41,090 |
| Redding, CA | 250 | $38,570 |
| Chico, CA | 240 | $43,320 |
| Madera, CA | 210 | $42,880 |
| Napa, CA | 200 | $54,140 |
| Merced, CA | 190 | $37,920 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 160 | $38,670 |
| Yuba City, CA | 160 | $37,490 |
| El Centro, CA | 130 | $39,320 |
Top States for Dental Assistants Employment
View the list below to see where most Dental Assistants work.
| State | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| California | 53,110 | $38,740 |
| Texas | 30,290 | $35,930 |
| Florida | 19,180 | $38,790 |
| New York | 19,110 | $38,170 |
| Illinois | 12,820 | $39,790 |
| Pennsylvania | 11,130 | $37,960 |
| New Jersey | 11,010 | $41,950 |
| Ohio | 10,590 | $36,960 |
| Washington | 10,510 | $42,260 |
| Michigan | 9,960 | $36,660 |
| North Carolina | 9,420 | $41,660 |
| Georgia | 8,590 | $36,760 |
| Virginia | 8,520 | $43,520 |
| Massachusetts | 8,110 | $45,760 |
| Colorado | 7,910 | $40,170 |
| Arizona | 6,850 | $41,690 |
| Indiana | 6,090 | $39,590 |
| Tennessee | 6,070 | $37,250 |
| Wisconsin | 6,060 | $38,150 |
| Maryland | 6,020 | $41,180 |
Below are the states where Dental Assistants get paid the most:
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | $49,220 |
| New Hampshire | $47,900 |
| District of Columbia | $46,630 |
| Alaska | $46,100 |
| Massachusetts | $45,760 |
| North Dakota | $44,320 |
| Connecticut | $44,080 |
| Vermont | $44,020 |
| Oregon | $43,990 |
| Rhode Island | $43,890 |
Related Careers in California
Discover similar careers:
| Occupation | California Employment Total |
|---|---|
| Medical Assistants | 92,960 |
| Healthcare Support Workers | 12,680 |
| Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers | 12,410 |
| Phlebotomists | 12,190 |
| Pharmacy Aides | 9,480 |
| Medical Equipment Preparers | 6,300 |
| Medical Transcriptionists | 4,920 |
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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