Dental Assistant salary in Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Ann Arbor metro earns $53,370 ($25.66/hr). Ann Arbor pays roughly 11% above the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Ann Arbor: the analysis
At a verified median of $53,370, dental assistants in Ann Arbor earn modestly above the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 11%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Ann Arbor ranks 48th.
Compared with Michigan as a whole (median $48,820), Ann Arbor pays dental assistants about 9% more — modestly 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 $38,770, while the top tenth earn $58,720 or more — a spread of about $19,950. 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 490 dental assistants employed in Ann Arbor — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Ann Arbor, a dental assistant earns about 3.3× less than a general dentist and about 1.7× less than a dental hygienist ($174,870, $91,900 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Ann Arbor (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $38,770 | $18.64/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $47,490 | $22.83/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $53,370 | $25.66/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $57,940 | $27.86/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $58,720 | $28.23/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $51,410 | $24.72/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Ann Arbor?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Ann Arbor metro earns about $53,370 ($25.66/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Ann Arbor dental assistant pay compare to Michigan overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Ann Arbor metro median is about $53,370, versus the verified BLS OEWS Michigan statewide median of about $48,820.
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