Dental Assistant salary in Charleston
Charleston–North Charleston, SC
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Charleston metro earns $49,040 ($23.58/hr). Charleston pays roughly 2% above the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Charleston: the analysis
At a verified median of $49,040, dental assistants in Charleston earn slightly above the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 2%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Charleston ranks 93rd.
Compared with South Carolina as a whole (median $47,320), Charleston pays dental assistants about 4% more — modestly 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 $43,480, while the top tenth earn $59,310 or more — a spread of about $15,830. 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 1,050 dental assistants employed in Charleston — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Charleston, a dental assistant earns about 2.5× less than a general dentist and about 1.9× less than a dental hygienist ($121,090, $94,570 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Charleston (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $43,480 | $20.90/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $47,030 | $22.61/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $49,040 | $23.58/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $58,390 | $28.07/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $59,310 | $28.51/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $51,000 | $24.52/hr |
South Carolina context
South Carolina verified median: $47,320.
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Charleston?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Charleston metro earns about $49,040 ($23.58/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Charleston dental assistant pay compare to South Carolina overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Charleston metro median is about $49,040, versus the verified BLS OEWS South Carolina statewide median of about $47,320.
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