Dental Assistant salary in Jonesboro
Jonesboro, AR
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Jonesboro metro earns $36,720 ($17.65/hr). Jonesboro pays roughly 24% below the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Jonesboro: the analysis
At a verified median of $36,720, dental assistants in Jonesboro earn notably below the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 24%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Jonesboro ranks 373rd.
Compared with Arkansas as a whole (median $42,830), Jonesboro pays dental assistants about 14% 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 $34,900, while the top tenth earn $47,260 or more — a spread of about $12,360. 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 170 dental assistants employed in Jonesboro — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Jonesboro, a dental assistant earns about 4.6× less than a general dentist and about 2.4× less than a dental hygienist ($169,850, $86,650 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Jonesboro (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $34,900 | $16.78/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $35,160 | $16.90/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $36,720 | $17.65/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $45,670 | $21.96/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $47,260 | $22.72/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $40,080 | $19.27/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Jonesboro?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Jonesboro metro earns about $36,720 ($17.65/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Jonesboro dental assistant pay compare to Arkansas overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Jonesboro metro median is about $36,720, versus the verified BLS OEWS Arkansas statewide median of about $42,830.
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