Dental Assistant salary in Altoona
Altoona, PA
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Altoona metro earns $45,310 ($21.78/hr). Altoona pays roughly 6% below the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Altoona: the analysis
At a verified median of $45,310, dental assistants in Altoona earn modestly below the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 6%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Altoona ranks 279th.
Compared with Pennsylvania as a whole (median $47,930), Altoona pays dental assistants about 5% 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 $35,480, while the top tenth earn $58,180 or more — a spread of about $22,700. 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 90 dental assistants employed in Altoona — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Altoona, a dental assistant earns about 2.6× less than a general dentist and about 1.7× less than a dental hygienist ($117,110, $75,070 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Altoona (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $35,480 | $17.06/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $35,950 | $17.28/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $45,310 | $21.78/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $47,300 | $22.74/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $58,180 | $27.97/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $44,440 | $21.37/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Altoona?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Altoona metro earns about $45,310 ($21.78/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Altoona dental assistant pay compare to Pennsylvania overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Altoona metro median is about $45,310, versus the verified BLS OEWS Pennsylvania statewide median of about $47,930.
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