Dental Assistant salary in Indianapolis
Indianapolis–Carmel–Greenwood, IN
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Indianapolis metro earns $48,970 ($23.54/hr). Indianapolis is about the national median ($48,070).
Dental Assistant pay in Indianapolis: the analysis
At a verified median of $48,970, dental assistants in Indianapolis earn slightly above the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 2%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Indianapolis ranks 94th.
Compared with Indiana as a whole (median $48,670), Indianapolis 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 $37,650, while the top tenth earn $59,550 or more — a spread of about $21,900. 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 2,200 dental assistants employed in Indianapolis — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Indianapolis, a dental assistant earns about 3.4× less than a general dentist and about 2.0× less than a dental hygienist ($166,120, $97,470 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Indianapolis (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $37,650 | $18.10/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $47,490 | $22.83/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $48,970 | $23.54/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $58,030 | $27.90/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $59,550 | $28.63/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $51,810 | $24.91/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Indianapolis?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Indianapolis metro earns about $48,970 ($23.54/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Indianapolis dental assistant pay compare to Indiana overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Indianapolis metro median is about $48,970, versus the verified BLS OEWS Indiana statewide median of about $48,670.
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