As is the case throughout the country, the field of dental assisting is increasing in Missouri. The rate of increase is projected to be 18.34% in the ten-year period leading up to 2022, according to the Missouri Department of Economic Development (MDED).
Of the 1,982 jobs projected to become available during this period, 53% will be due to the replacement of dental assistants leaving the workforce. The remaining 930 jobs will be due to growth.
The number of dental assistant jobs projected to become available will be particularly high in the St. Louis Workforce Investment Area (WIA). Twenty-six percent of the new jobs are expected to be located in that WIA.
The average 2013 dental assistant salary in Missouri was $33,866. Experienced dental assistants earned $38,422 a year. Those entering the workforce averaged $24,754 that year.
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The MDED provides a breakdown of dental assistant salaries by region. Salaries varied substantially throughout these regions. The average Missouri dental assistant salary was highest in the St. Charles County region:
Missouri Region
Entry-level
Average
Experienced
Central
$23997
$30871
$34308
Kansas City
$28458
$36116
$39945
Northeast
$24418
$34972
$40249
Northwest
$25971
$32912
$36383
South central
$17030
$26528
$31292
Southeast
$20482
$27570
$31114
Southwest
$19983
$28826
$33248
Charles County
$30302
$37350
$40723
West central
$18171
$23724
$26491
In 2013, 5,130 dental assistants were employed in Missouri. Over one third of them were located in the St. Louis region.
For comparison, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also provides a detailed analysis of 2013 dental assisting salary percentiles throughout metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of Missouri:
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
Cape Girardeau-Jackson MO-IL
110
11.94
24840
11.62
13.69
16.01
24160
28470
33310
Columbia MO
220
16.35
34020
16.32
18.08
20.56
33950
37610
42760
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers AR-MO
530
14.55
30260
14.52
16.50
17.84
30200
34320
37100
Jefferson City MO
90
15.10
31400
14.49
16.82
18.96
30130
34980
39450
Joplin MO
200
14.07
29270
13.63
17.57
20.54
28350
36550
42720
Kansas City MO-KS
1870
18.40
38280
17.83
21.51
26.01
37080
44750
54090
St. Joseph MO-KS
70
14.31
29760
14.15
16.51
18.11
29440
34340
37660
St. Louis MO-IL
2480
17.09
35560
16.84
20.32
22.84
35030
42270
47510
Springfield MO
650
15.58
32400
15.24
18.17
21.50
31700
37800
44710
Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area
350
13.15
27350
13.52
15.63
17.63
28130
32500
36680
North Missouri nonmetropolitan area
160
15.97
33210
14.16
16.58
22.71
29460
34490
47230
Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area
160
13.83
28770
13.72
18.00
20.78
28530
37440
43230
Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area
80
12.91
26860
12.31
15.65
17.95
25610
32540
37330
