Dental Assistant salary in Richmond
Richmond, VA
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Richmond metro earns $47,760 ($22.96/hr). Richmond is about the national median ($48,070).
Dental Assistant pay in Richmond: the analysis
At a verified median of $47,760, dental assistants in Richmond earn in line with the U.S. median of $48,070 . Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Richmond ranks 153rd.
Compared with Virginia as a whole (median $46,670), Richmond pays dental assistants about 2% more — slightly 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 $37,820, while the top tenth earn $57,670 or more — a spread of about $19,850. 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 1,610 dental assistants employed in Richmond — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Richmond, a dental assistant earns about 4.6× less than a general dentist and about 2.2× less than a dental hygienist ($218,880, $104,250 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Richmond (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $37,820 | $18.18/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $39,100 | $18.80/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $47,760 | $22.96/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $55,550 | $26.71/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $57,670 | $27.73/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $47,740 | $22.95/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Richmond?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Richmond metro earns about $47,760 ($22.96/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Richmond dental assistant pay compare to Virginia overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Richmond metro median is about $47,760, versus the verified BLS OEWS Virginia statewide median of about $46,670.
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