Dental Assistant salary in Missoula
Missoula, MT
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Missoula metro earns $46,550 ($22.38/hr). Missoula pays roughly 3% below the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Missoula: the analysis
At a verified median of $46,550, dental assistants in Missoula earn slightly below the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 3%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Missoula ranks 219th.
Compared with Montana as a whole (median $46,680), Missoula 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 $38,910, while the top tenth earn $56,200 or more — a spread of about $17,290. 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 Missoula — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Missoula, a dental assistant earns about 3.7× less than a general dentist and about 2.1× less than a dental hygienist ($172,690, $98,050 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Missoula (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $38,910 | $18.71/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $44,830 | $21.55/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $46,550 | $22.38/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $49,070 | $23.59/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $56,200 | $27.02/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $47,500 | $22.84/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 Missoula?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Missoula metro earns about $46,550 ($22.38/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Missoula dental assistant pay compare to Montana overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Missoula metro median is about $46,550, versus the verified BLS OEWS Montana statewide median of about $46,680.
Last updated