Dental Assistant salary in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, AL
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Tuscaloosa metro earns $38,050 ($18.29/hr). Tuscaloosa pays roughly 21% below the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Tuscaloosa: the analysis
At a verified median of $38,050, dental assistants in Tuscaloosa earn notably below the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 21%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Tuscaloosa ranks 358th.
Compared with Alabama as a whole (median $39,080), Tuscaloosa pays dental assistants about 3% less than the statewide median. Local demand, cost of labor, and the mix of practices drive most of that difference.
The pay range is wide: the lowest-paid tenth of dental assistants in this metro area earn around $29,660, while the top tenth earn $47,140 or more — a spread of about $17,480. That gap reflects experience, practice setting, and local demand more than any single factor, so an individual offer can sit well above or below the midpoint.
The BLS counts roughly 200 dental assistants employed in Tuscaloosa — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Tuscaloosa, a dental assistant earns about 3.2× less than a general dentist and about 1.6× less than a dental hygienist ($120,350, $60,500 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Tuscaloosa (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $29,660 | $14.26/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $35,110 | $16.88/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $38,050 | $18.29/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $44,130 | $21.22/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $47,140 | $22.66/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $39,030 | $18.76/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Tuscaloosa?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Tuscaloosa metro earns about $38,050 ($18.29/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Tuscaloosa dental assistant pay compare to Alabama overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Tuscaloosa metro median is about $38,050, versus the verified BLS OEWS Alabama statewide median of about $39,080.
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