Dental Assistant salary in Atlanta
Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell, GA
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Atlanta metro earns $47,210 ($22.70/hr). Atlanta is about the national median ($48,070).
Dental Assistant pay in Atlanta: the analysis
At a verified median of $47,210, dental assistants in Atlanta earn slightly below the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 2%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Atlanta ranks 180th.
Compared with Georgia as a whole (median $46,840), Atlanta tracks the statewide median closely. 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 $37,800, while the top tenth earn $57,780 or more — a spread of about $19,980. 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 6,700 dental assistants employed in Atlanta — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Atlanta, a dental assistant earns about 4.7× less than a general dentist and about 2.1× less than a dental hygienist ($222,690, $100,370 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Atlanta (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $37,800 | $18.17/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $45,690 | $21.97/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $47,210 | $22.70/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $56,080 | $26.96/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $57,780 | $27.78/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $48,520 | $23.33/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Atlanta?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Atlanta metro earns about $47,210 ($22.70/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Atlanta dental assistant pay compare to Georgia overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Atlanta metro median is about $47,210, versus the verified BLS OEWS Georgia statewide median of about $46,840.
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