Dental Assistant salary in Phoenix
Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler, AZ
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Phoenix metro earns $49,760 ($23.92/hr). Phoenix pays roughly 4% above the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Phoenix: the analysis
At a verified median of $49,760, dental assistants in Phoenix earn modestly above the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 4%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Phoenix ranks 74th.
Compared with Arizona as a whole (median $49,000), Phoenix pays dental assistants about 2% more — slightly above the statewide figure. 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 $40,420, while the top tenth earn $59,380 or more — a spread of about $18,960. 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 6,270 dental assistants employed in Phoenix — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Phoenix, a dental assistant earns about 3.9× less than a general dentist and about 2.1× less than a dental hygienist ($194,180, $102,520 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Phoenix (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $40,420 | $19.43/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $46,860 | $22.53/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $49,760 | $23.92/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $58,620 | $28.18/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $59,380 | $28.55/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $51,520 | $24.77/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Phoenix?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Phoenix metro earns about $49,760 ($23.92/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Phoenix dental assistant pay compare to Arizona overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Phoenix metro median is about $49,760, versus the verified BLS OEWS Arizona statewide median of about $49,000.
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