Dental Assistant salary in Fargo
Fargo, ND-MN
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Fargo metro earns $56,940 ($27.38/hr). Fargo pays roughly 18% above the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Fargo: the analysis
At a verified median of $56,940, dental assistants in Fargo earn notably above the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 18%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Fargo ranks 38th.
Compared with North Dakota as a whole (median $57,770), Fargo 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 $45,300, while the top tenth earn $70,450 or more — a spread of about $25,150. 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 330 dental assistants employed in Fargo — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Fargo, a dental assistant earns about 3.5× less than a general dentist and about 1.5× less than a dental hygienist ($198,570, $84,390 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Fargo (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $45,300 | $21.78/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $46,770 | $22.49/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $56,940 | $27.38/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $59,960 | $28.83/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $70,450 | $33.87/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $55,220 | $26.55/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Fargo?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Fargo metro earns about $56,940 ($27.38/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Fargo dental assistant pay compare to North Dakota overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Fargo metro median is about $56,940, versus the verified BLS OEWS North Dakota statewide median of about $57,770.
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