Dental Assistant salary in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids–Wyoming–Kentwood, MI
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Grand Rapids metro earns $50,490 ($24.27/hr). Grand Rapids pays roughly 5% above the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Grand Rapids: the analysis
At a verified median of $50,490, dental assistants in Grand Rapids earn modestly above the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 5%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Grand Rapids ranks 57th.
Compared with Michigan as a whole (median $48,820), Grand Rapids 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 $39,130, while the top tenth earn $85,280 or more — a spread of about $46,150. 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 1,470 dental assistants employed in Grand Rapids — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Grand Rapids, a dental assistant earns about 3.4× less than a general dentist and about 1.7× less than a dental hygienist ($173,160, $84,290 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Grand Rapids (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $39,130 | $18.81/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $47,980 | $23.07/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $50,490 | $24.27/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $59,090 | $28.41/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $85,280 | $41.00/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $55,120 | $26.50/hr |
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How much does a dental assistant make in Grand Rapids?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Grand Rapids metro earns about $50,490 ($24.27/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Grand Rapids dental assistant pay compare to Michigan overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Grand Rapids metro median is about $50,490, versus the verified BLS OEWS Michigan statewide median of about $48,820.
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