Dental Assistant salary in Helena
Helena, MT
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Helena metro earns $46,870 ($22.53/hr). Helena pays roughly 2% below the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Helena: the analysis
At a verified median of $46,870, dental assistants in Helena 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, Helena ranks 199th.
Compared with Montana as a whole (median $46,680), Helena tracks the statewide median closely. 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 $38,860, while the top tenth earn $56,420 or more — a spread of about $17,560. 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 130 dental assistants employed in Helena — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Helena, a dental assistant earns about 3.6× less than a general dentist and about 2.1× less than a dental hygienist ($168,900, $98,200 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Helena (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $38,860 | $18.68/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $45,970 | $22.10/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $46,870 | $22.53/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $48,060 | $23.11/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $56,420 | $27.13/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $46,910 | $22.55/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Helena?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Helena metro earns about $46,870 ($22.53/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Helena dental assistant pay compare to Montana overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Helena metro median is about $46,870, versus the verified BLS OEWS Montana statewide median of about $46,680.
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