I recently teamed with DentistryIQ on an article that details the latest salary information for dental assistants from across the United States. This information is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and you can read the article and see the numbers in all 50 states by clicking here.
Three things that jump out at me about the numbers…
- They’re obviously very low in some states. Low salary is one of the reasons why the dental assisting profession is losing so many great assistants. They simply can’t afford to stay as assistants and feed their families. Assistants have bills to pay as well and if their career path won’t allow them to pay those bills, they’re going to move on. It’s that simple. That’s a shame on many levels.
- Assistants can become a bigger part of the business of the dental practice by working with the rest of the team (dentist included) to identify the areas in each state where they are legally allowed to work on additional procedures. Here is a great resource to show what dental assistants can or can’t do in each state. Thanks to DANB for making it so easy.
- If you want to know how a dental assistant can become a bigger part of the bottom line of every dental practice (which, again, is a business), click here to listen to a podcast I recently did on the subject.
Dental assistants are the backbone and heartbeat of the practice. They deserve a salary that reflects that.
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