Dental Assistant salary in Joplin
Joplin, MO-KS
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Joplin metro earns $43,010 ($20.68/hr). Joplin pays roughly 11% below the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Joplin: the analysis
At a verified median of $43,010, dental assistants in Joplin earn modestly below the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 11%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Joplin ranks 329th.
Compared with Missouri as a whole (median $45,970), Joplin pays dental assistants about 6% 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 $34,640, while the top tenth earn $49,020 or more — a spread of about $14,380. 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 210 dental assistants employed in Joplin — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Joplin, a dental assistant earns about 4.7× less than a general dentist and about 1.9× less than a dental hygienist ($201,820, $83,270 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Joplin (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $34,640 | $16.65/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $38,120 | $18.33/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $43,010 | $20.68/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $47,320 | $22.75/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $49,020 | $23.57/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $43,140 | $20.74/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Joplin?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Joplin metro earns about $43,010 ($20.68/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Joplin dental assistant pay compare to Missouri overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Joplin metro median is about $43,010, versus the verified BLS OEWS Missouri statewide median of about $45,970.
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