Dental Assistant salary in Hickory
Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Hickory metro earns $48,720 ($23.43/hr). Hickory is about the national median ($48,070).
Dental Assistant pay in Hickory: the analysis
At a verified median of $48,720, dental assistants in Hickory earn in line with the U.S. median of $48,070 . Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Hickory ranks 105th.
Compared with North Carolina as a whole (median $50,380), Hickory pays dental assistants about 3% 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 $37,830, while the top tenth earn $57,610 or more — a spread of about $19,780. 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 320 dental assistants employed in Hickory — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Hickory, a dental assistant earns about 4.0× less than a general dentist and about 1.9× less than a dental hygienist ($193,320, $94,050 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Hickory (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $37,830 | $18.19/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $44,550 | $21.42/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $48,720 | $23.42/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $54,240 | $26.08/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $57,610 | $27.70/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $48,370 | $23.25/hr |
North Carolina context
North Carolina verified median: $50,380.
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Hickory?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Hickory metro earns about $48,720 ($23.43/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Hickory dental assistant pay compare to North Carolina overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Hickory metro median is about $48,720, versus the verified BLS OEWS North Carolina statewide median of about $50,380.
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