At present, when the medical field is expanding at a rapid pace and healthcare is gaining prominence, there are various booming jobs in the medical field. One of these jobs is that of a dental assistance that is fast gaining prominence. The job of a dental assistant is a responsible one and involves doing several tasks that assist the dentist in his/her work. They can be medical or managerial in nature. Now given the fact that this profession occupies such a vital position in the field of healthcare services, it is obvious that dentist assistants also get a handsome salary.
However, if you intend to become a dental assistant, it is imperative to have some general and necessary information on dental assistant salary. As per the findings of a government survey, people involved in this profession earn about $32,600 annually. However, the income for a dental assistant varies according to location as well as industry. If you talk about annual incomes of dental assistants, the highest salary is of $43,000 and the one at the lower end is $20,000 annually. It is true that dental assistant salary varies as per state and even between cities. Therefore, if you want to earn a handsome amount, then you need to carry out some research work regarding the location for working.
If you intend to become a dental assistant, you should be certified by Dental Assistant National Board or DANB. Getting a certification from them will definitely help you fetch more salary than others. Moreover, it would be a lot easier to find a job as compared. This is because a majority of dentists want that their assistants to be well trained and skillful. Your chances of working with a good dentist augment when you get the aforementioned certification. In addition, given that the average hourly dental assistant salary is $17 to $18, a certification from the DANB can fetch you $19 per hour.
An average annual dental assistant salary is around $30,000, however if the person climbs the career ladder, it can go as high as $40,000. However, going by the aforementioned information that a dental assistant’s salary actually depends on the city and state, this is how a dental assistant in the U.S .will earn annually on the per hour basis. In cities like Chicago, the hourly earnings are above $14, but in cities like Houston, they are well below $14. In addition, in major metropolitan cities like New York, the hourly earnings are above $15. It is also possible to earn an hourly salary of $20 if you are a dental assistant with adequate experience.
Now comes the most important part. What are the factors that determine a dental assistant salary? The foremost thing that decides the salary is the dental assistant school from where you received your training. Moreover, pertaining to this, you should be certified by the DANB. If you are enough experienced, then you will get good pay. Besides, vital factors like skills, competency, hard work and dedication also play a vital role in deciding the salary of a dental assistant.