Dental Assistant salary in Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo–Portage, MI
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Kalamazoo metro earns $46,920 ($22.56/hr). Kalamazoo pays roughly 2% below the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Kalamazoo: the analysis
At a verified median of $46,920, dental assistants in Kalamazoo earn slightly below the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 2%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Kalamazoo ranks 191st.
Compared with Michigan as a whole (median $48,820), Kalamazoo pays dental assistants about 4% 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 $35,890, while the top tenth earn $57,570 or more — a spread of about $21,680. 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 280 dental assistants employed in Kalamazoo — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Kalamazoo, a dental assistant earns about 4.0× less than a general dentist and about 1.7× less than a dental hygienist ($187,770, $79,670 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Kalamazoo (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $35,890 | $17.25/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $44,800 | $21.54/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $46,920 | $22.56/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $48,920 | $23.52/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $57,570 | $27.68/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $47,740 | $22.95/hr |
Estimate your pay
Open calculatorKnow a real number we don’t?
Submit your compensation anonymously. We review every entry and publish only de-identified aggregates above a sample-size threshold.
Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Kalamazoo?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Kalamazoo metro earns about $46,920 ($22.56/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Kalamazoo dental assistant pay compare to Michigan overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Kalamazoo metro median is about $46,920, versus the verified BLS OEWS Michigan statewide median of about $48,820.
Last updated