The Maine Department of Labor considers the field of dental assisting to be a high growth occupation in the state. It predicts an 11% increase in the number of dental assistant jobs in the ten-year period ending in 2022. This is nearly five fold higher than the overall increase in job growth expected among all occupations in Maine.
In 2012, 1,130 dental assistants were employed in Maine. That number is expected to increase by 124 over this time frame.
The average 2013 dental assistant salary in Maine was $38,090. Dental assistants in the 10th percentile are generally entry-level professionals. They averaged $28,810 year. In contrast, experienced dental assistants in the 90th percentile earned $47,730 a year on average.
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The highest Maine dental assistant salary was $59,390 for Androscoggin County dental assistants in the 90th percentile. Average salaries were highest in Androscoggin and Cumberland counties:
Maine Area
10th percentile
Average
90th percentile
Androscoggin County
$27662
$41525
$59390
Aroostook County
$26093
$32096
$40429
Cumberland County
$33628
$41788
$47750
Hancock County
$32520
$38960
$46341
Kennebec County
$26783
$35372
$45526
Penobscot County
$30400
$37134
$46959
York County
$32444
$38804
$48906
Dental assistant salaries were lower than the state’s average in the balance of state areas:
Maine Area
10th percentile
Average
90th percentile
Northeast
$27370
$36040
$45500
Southwest
$26500
$35380
$46070
In 2013, 78.5% of Maine’s 1,300 dental assistants were employed in four of the largest counties:
- York County – 290
- Cumberland County – 280
- Kennebec County – 230
- Penobscot County – 220
For comparison, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also provides a detailed breakdown of 2013 dental assisting salary figures by percentile in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of Maine:
Area name
Employment
Hourly mean wage
Annual mean wage
Hourly median wage
Hourly 75th percentile wage
Hourly 90th percentile wage
Annual median wage
Annual 75th percentile wage
Annual 90th percentile wage
Bangor ME
180
17.81
37050
17.19
18.65
22.82
35760
38790
47460
Lewiston-Auburn ME
60
19.96
41530
17.60
25.72
28.55
36610
53500
59390
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford ME
420
20.08
41770
20.14
22.02
23.31
41900
45800
48490
Portsmouth NH-ME
130
18.38
38230
18.13
21.36
24.35
37720
44440
50640
Rochester-Dover NH-ME
80
20.05
41700
20.24
22.48
25.35
42100
46760
52740
Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area
140
17.33
36040
17.36
20.01
21.88
36110
41610
45500
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area
470
17.01
35380
16.71
19.08
22.15
34750
39690
46070