Dental Assistant salary in Milwaukee
Milwaukee–Waukesha, WI
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Milwaukee metro earns $47,140 ($22.66/hr). Milwaukee is about the national median ($48,070).
Dental Assistant pay in Milwaukee: the analysis
At a verified median of $47,140, dental assistants in Milwaukee earn slightly below the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 2%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Milwaukee ranks 185th.
Compared with Wisconsin as a whole (median $47,520), Milwaukee 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 $39,700, while the top tenth earn $58,430 or more — a spread of about $18,730. 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 2,400 dental assistants employed in Milwaukee — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Milwaukee, a dental assistant earns about 3.3× less than a general dentist and about 2.1× less than a dental hygienist ($155,940, $98,780 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Milwaukee (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $39,700 | $19.09/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $45,200 | $21.73/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $47,140 | $22.66/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $50,060 | $24.07/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $58,430 | $28.09/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $48,420 | $23.28/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Milwaukee?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Milwaukee metro earns about $47,140 ($22.66/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Milwaukee dental assistant pay compare to Wisconsin overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Milwaukee metro median is about $47,140, versus the verified BLS OEWS Wisconsin statewide median of about $47,520.
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