Dental Assistant salary in Arizona
The verified BLS median dental assistant in Arizona earns $49,000 ($23.56/hr). Arizona is about the national median ($48,070).
Dental Assistant pay in Arizona: the analysis
At a verified median of $49,000, dental assistants in Arizona earn slightly above the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 2%. Among the 51 states where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Arizona ranks 16th.
The pay range is wide: the lowest-paid tenth of dental assistants in this state earn around $38,500, while the top tenth earn $59,380 or more — a spread of about $20,880. That gap reflects experience, practice setting, and demand more than any single factor, so an individual offer can sit well above or below the midpoint.
The BLS counts roughly 8,680 dental assistants employed in Arizona — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Arizona, a dental assistant earns about 4.0× less than a general dentist and about 2.1× less than a dental hygienist ($194,180, $101,010 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Within the state, dental assistant pay is highest in Phoenix at about $49,760 and lowest in Yuma at about $45,350. Metro-level demand and cost of living explain most of the in-state variation — see the metro breakdown below.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Arizona (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $38,500 | $18.51/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $46,050 | $22.14/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $49,000 | $23.56/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $57,880 | $27.83/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $59,380 | $28.55/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $50,280 | $24.17/hr |
Dental Assistant pay by metro in Arizona
All 7 Arizona metros where BLS publishes a dental assistant wage — highest first. State median: $49,000.
- Phoenix$49,760+2%
- Flagstaff$48,900
- Prescott Valley$47,520-3%
- Tucson$47,510-3%
- Lake Havasu City$47,070-4%
- Sierra Vista$45,620-7%
- Yuma$45,350-7%
Verified BLS OEWS metropolitan wage estimates (May 2025). Percentages compare each metro median with the Arizona median. Metros where BLS does not publish a dental assistant wage are not listed.
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How much does a dental assistant make in Arizona?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in Arizona earns about $49,000 ($23.56/hr), from the official May 2025 state wage survey.
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