Dental Assistant salary in Sacramento
Sacramento–Roseville–Folsom, CA
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Sacramento metro earns $58,580 ($28.16/hr). Sacramento pays roughly 22% above the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Sacramento: the analysis
At a verified median of $58,580, dental assistants in Sacramento earn notably above the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 22%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Sacramento ranks 21st.
Compared with California as a whole (median $50,110), Sacramento pays dental assistants about 17% more — notably 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 $45,830, while the top tenth earn $70,630 or more — a spread of about $24,800. 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 3,100 dental assistants employed in Sacramento — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Sacramento, a dental assistant earns about 2.9× less than a general dentist and about 2.1× less than a dental hygienist ($170,500, $122,540 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Sacramento (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $45,830 | $22.03/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $47,930 | $23.04/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $58,580 | $28.16/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $63,330 | $30.45/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $70,630 | $33.96/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $57,840 | $27.81/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Sacramento?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Sacramento metro earns about $58,580 ($28.16/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Sacramento dental assistant pay compare to California overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Sacramento metro median is about $58,580, versus the verified BLS OEWS California statewide median of about $50,110.
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