Dental Assistant salary in Columbia
Columbia, MO
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Columbia metro earns $46,920 ($22.56/hr). Columbia pays roughly 2% below the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Columbia: the analysis
At a verified median of $46,920, dental assistants in Columbia 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, Columbia ranks 192nd.
Compared with Missouri as a whole (median $45,970), Columbia pays dental assistants about 2% 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 $34,990, while the top tenth earn $57,550 or more — a spread of about $22,560. 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 220 dental assistants employed in Columbia — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Columbia, a dental assistant earns about 4.4× less than a general dentist and about 1.8× less than a dental hygienist ($207,450, $86,300 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Columbia (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $34,990 | $16.82/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $38,940 | $18.72/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $46,920 | $22.56/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $48,280 | $23.21/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $57,550 | $27.67/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $45,860 | $22.05/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Columbia?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Columbia metro earns about $46,920 ($22.56/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Columbia dental assistant pay compare to Missouri overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Columbia metro median is about $46,920, versus the verified BLS OEWS Missouri statewide median of about $45,970.
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