Dental Assistant salary in Charleston
Charleston, WV
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Charleston metro earns $38,090 ($18.31/hr). Charleston pays roughly 21% below the national median of $48,070.
Dental Assistant pay in Charleston: the analysis
At a verified median of $38,090, dental assistants in Charleston earn notably below the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 21%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Charleston ranks 357th.
Compared with West Virginia as a whole (median $37,960), Charleston 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 $34,270, while the top tenth earn $57,270 or more — a spread of about $23,000. 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 210 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 4.0× less than a general dentist and about 1.7× less than a dental hygienist ($152,980, $65,520 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 | $34,270 | $16.48/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $35,460 | $17.05/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $38,090 | $18.31/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $48,720 | $23.42/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $57,270 | $27.53/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $42,640 | $20.50/hr |
West Virginia context
West Virginia verified median: $37,960.
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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 $38,090 ($18.31/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Charleston dental assistant pay compare to West Virginia overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Charleston metro median is about $38,090, versus the verified BLS OEWS West Virginia statewide median of about $37,960.
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