Dental Assistant salary in McAllen
McAllen–Edinburg–Mission, TX
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the McAllen metro earns $37,230 ($17.90/hr). McAllen pays roughly 23% below the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in McAllen: the analysis
At a verified median of $37,230, dental assistants in McAllen earn notably below the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 23%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, McAllen ranks 366th.
Compared with Texas as a whole (median $45,430), McAllen pays dental assistants about 18% 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 $29,960, while the top tenth earn $45,490 or more — a spread of about $15,530. 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 670 dental assistants employed in McAllen — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within McAllen, a dental assistant earns about 3.6× less than a general dentist and about 2.2× less than a dental hygienist ($134,160, $82,940 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — McAllen (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $29,960 | $14.40/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $30,800 | $14.81/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $37,230 | $17.90/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $43,970 | $21.14/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $45,490 | $21.87/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $38,630 | $18.57/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in McAllen?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the McAllen metro earns about $37,230 ($17.90/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does McAllen dental assistant pay compare to Texas overall?
The verified BLS OEWS McAllen metro median is about $37,230, versus the verified BLS OEWS Texas statewide median of about $45,430.
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