Dental Assistant salary in Des Moines
Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Des Moines metro earns $50,020 ($24.05/hr). Des Moines pays roughly 4% above the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Des Moines: the analysis
At a verified median of $50,020, dental assistants in Des Moines earn modestly above the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 4%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Des Moines ranks 66th.
Compared with Iowa as a whole (median $48,430), Des Moines pays dental assistants about 3% more — slightly 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 $44,810, while the top tenth earn $59,990 or more — a spread of about $15,180. 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 660 dental assistants employed in Des Moines — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Des Moines, a dental assistant earns about 4.2× less than a general dentist and about 1.9× less than a dental hygienist ($209,300, $93,660 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Des Moines (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $44,810 | $21.54/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $47,840 | $23.00/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $50,020 | $24.05/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $57,850 | $27.81/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $59,990 | $28.84/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $52,570 | $25.27/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Des Moines?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Des Moines metro earns about $50,020 ($24.05/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Des Moines dental assistant pay compare to Iowa overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Des Moines metro median is about $50,020, versus the verified BLS OEWS Iowa statewide median of about $48,430.
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