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A Dental Assistant's Salary - How Much Should You Expect?

By Kim Johnson

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 06Mar2012
Word count: 436
Viewed: 77 time(s)

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A dental assistant helps the dentist in performing office and laboratory duties as well as various patient care. Dental assistant should not be mistaken for dental hygienist who are responsible for providing preventive dental care and more often than not perform routine procedures such as teeth cleaning without the supervision of the dentist. According to the US National Averages Report 2012, dental assistants earn an average annual income of $33,062. Their responsibilities include chair side assisting; dental infection control procedures; patient and community education and many more.

There are many factors that affect a dental assistants' salary such as experience. New dental assistants earn roughly $9 to $15 per hour. Dental assistants with one to five years working experience will receive a higher hourly wage from $10 to $17. Senior dental assistants with more than five years of working experiences could earn more than $20 per hour.

Besides that, the city or location a dental assistant chooses to work at affects his or her salary. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Employment and Wages Database, a dental assistant in New York earns $17 per hour which makes them the highest paid dental assistants in the United States. Smaller cities such as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania could only earn a maximum of $13 per hour. This difference in salary is due to the lesser demand for dental assistants in cities with a smaller population. Usually, the dentist will also perform office and laboratory duties of a dental assistant because they have lesser patients.

On top of that, education is also a determining factor of a dental assistant's salary. Dental assistants who are certified by accredited dental schools receive higher salary. The top dental schools in the United States are Vista College, Ultimate Medical Academy, and Anthem College. On the other hand, dental assistants who receive their certification through online programs or through training under a dentist are paid slightly lower salaries. Dental assistants who wish to earn higher wages should sit for the Dental Assisting National Board's Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) examination. Those who sit for the CDA and pass with distinctions would garner an even higher salary.

The job outlook for dental assistants is promising. Some dental assistants are promoted to become office managers. Others are given the opportunity to be dental-assisting instructors as well as dental product sales representatives. However, these opportunities are limited for those without further education. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, this occupation is projected to continue growing through 2018. This means that there is a high possibility for the dental assistant's salary range to also increase.

Being a Dental Assistant is a great career choice. The cost of training is relatively low and employment is in high demand. Increase your earning potential by bring home a highly respected Dental Assistant Salary. To find out more, please visit: =>http://www.getfreedental.com/dentalassistant.htm

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