Dental Assistant salary in Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Fort Wayne metro earns $48,670 ($23.40/hr). Fort Wayne is about the national median ($48,070).
Dental Assistant pay in Fort Wayne: the analysis
At a verified median of $48,670, dental assistants in Fort Wayne earn in line with the U.S. median of $48,070 . Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Fort Wayne ranks 109th.
Compared with Indiana as a whole (median $48,670), Fort Wayne 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 $37,970, while the top tenth earn $60,840 or more — a spread of about $22,870. 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 630 dental assistants employed in Fort Wayne — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Fort Wayne, a dental assistant earns about 3.8× less than a general dentist and about 1.8× less than a dental hygienist ($183,590, $86,120 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Fort Wayne (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $37,970 | $18.25/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $47,150 | $22.67/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $48,670 | $23.40/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $59,140 | $28.43/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $60,840 | $29.25/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $51,060 | $24.55/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Fort Wayne?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Fort Wayne metro earns about $48,670 ($23.40/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Fort Wayne dental assistant pay compare to Indiana overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Fort Wayne metro median is about $48,670, versus the verified BLS OEWS Indiana statewide median of about $48,670.
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