Dental Assistant salary in Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach–Chesapeake–Norfolk, VA-NC
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Virginia Beach metro earns $46,670 ($22.44/hr). Virginia Beach pays roughly 3% below the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Virginia Beach: the analysis
At a verified median of $46,670, dental assistants in Virginia Beach earn slightly below the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 3%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Virginia Beach ranks 211th.
Compared with Virginia as a whole (median $46,670), Virginia Beach 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 $37,260, while the top tenth earn $58,500 or more — a spread of about $21,240. 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 1,860 dental assistants employed in Virginia Beach — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Virginia Beach, a dental assistant earns about 3.8× less than a general dentist and about 2.1× less than a dental hygienist ($177,400, $98,890 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Virginia Beach (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $37,260 | $17.91/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $39,020 | $18.76/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $46,670 | $22.44/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $54,980 | $26.43/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $58,500 | $28.13/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $47,100 | $22.64/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Virginia Beach?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Virginia Beach metro earns about $46,670 ($22.44/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Virginia Beach dental assistant pay compare to Virginia overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Virginia Beach metro median is about $46,670, versus the verified BLS OEWS Virginia statewide median of about $46,670.
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