Dental Assistant salary in Salem
Salem, OR
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Salem metro earns $59,210 ($28.47/hr). Salem pays roughly 23% above the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Salem: the analysis
At a verified median of $59,210, dental assistants in Salem earn notably above the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 23%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Salem ranks 15th.
Compared with Oregon as a whole (median $59,490), Salem 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 $49,040, while the top tenth earn $71,750 or more — a spread of about $22,710. 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 570 dental assistants employed in Salem — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Salem, a dental assistant earns about 3.6× less than a general dentist and about 2.0× less than a dental hygienist ($212,310, $119,050 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Salem (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $49,040 | $23.58/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $57,810 | $27.79/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $59,210 | $28.47/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $62,190 | $29.90/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $71,750 | $34.50/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $59,080 | $28.40/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Salem?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Salem metro earns about $59,210 ($28.47/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Salem dental assistant pay compare to Oregon overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Salem metro median is about $59,210, versus the verified BLS OEWS Oregon statewide median of about $59,490.
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