Dental Assistant salary in Raleigh
Raleigh–Cary, NC
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Raleigh metro earns $58,750 ($28.25/hr). Raleigh pays roughly 22% above the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Raleigh: the analysis
At a verified median of $58,750, dental assistants in Raleigh earn notably above the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 22%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Raleigh ranks 20th.
Compared with North Carolina as a whole (median $50,380), Raleigh pays dental assistants about 17% more — notably 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 $40,410, while the top tenth earn $64,390 or more — a spread of about $23,980. 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 1,850 dental assistants employed in Raleigh — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Raleigh, a dental assistant earns about 3.5× less than a general dentist and about 1.7× less than a dental hygienist ($207,380, $98,800 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Raleigh (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $40,410 | $19.43/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $50,580 | $24.32/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $58,750 | $28.25/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $60,680 | $29.17/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $64,390 | $30.96/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $55,950 | $26.90/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 Raleigh?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Raleigh metro earns about $58,750 ($28.25/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Raleigh dental assistant pay compare to North Carolina overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Raleigh metro median is about $58,750, versus the verified BLS OEWS North Carolina statewide median of about $50,380.
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