Dental Assistant salary in Worcester
Worcester, MA
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Worcester metro earns $50,720 ($24.39/hr). Worcester pays roughly 6% above the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Worcester: the analysis
At a verified median of $50,720, dental assistants in Worcester earn modestly above the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 6%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Worcester ranks 56th.
Compared with Massachusetts as a whole (median $57,980), Worcester pays dental assistants about 13% less than the statewide median. 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 $40,580, while the top tenth earn $61,810 or more — a spread of about $21,230. 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 880 dental assistants employed in Worcester — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Worcester, a dental assistant earns about 4.0× less than a general dentist and about 2.0× less than a dental hygienist ($202,110, $100,460 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Worcester (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $40,580 | $19.51/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $48,300 | $23.22/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $50,720 | $24.38/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $61,110 | $29.38/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $61,810 | $29.72/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $54,070 | $26.00/hr |
Massachusetts context
Massachusetts verified median: $57,980.
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Worcester?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Worcester metro earns about $50,720 ($24.39/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Worcester dental assistant pay compare to Massachusetts overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Worcester metro median is about $50,720, versus the verified BLS OEWS Massachusetts statewide median of about $57,980.
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