About 28 percent of dental assistants are satisfied with their compensation, while 37 percent are satisfied with their benefits, according to Dentalpost's 2024 Dental Salary Survey.
Dentalpost surveyed 547 registered dental assistants from July to October 2023 for this year's report.
The average annual full-time income of dental assistants who responded to the survey was $44,295, an increase of 4.24% from 2022. The average hourly rate for dental hygienists increased by 8.24% to reach $25.22.
The percentage of dental assistants receiving employee benefits increased by 19%, with 89% of dental assistants reporting that they received some benefits. The top benefits dental assistants received in 2023 were paid vacation, paid holidays, dental insurance and paid sick leave.
Here are dental assistants' satisfaction levels for pay and benefits:
Total compensation
Very satisfied: 7.3%
Satisfied: 21.46%
Neutral: 31.55%
Dissatisfied: 28.76%
Very dissatisfied: 10.94%
Benefits
Very satisfied: 10.15%
Satisfied: 27.15%
Neutral: 29.14%
Dissatisfied: 18.98%
Very dissatisfied: 14.57%