Exceptional employment and salary outlooks for dental assistants in Washington have recently gained the attention of the federal government. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2013:
- Washington held the second highest concentration of dental assistant jobs in the country (9,220)
- The Bremerton-Silverdale area held the fourth highest concentration of dental assistant jobs of all metropolitan areas in the country (380)
- The Northwestern nonmetropolitan area held the fourth highest concentration of dental assistant jobs among all nonmetropolitan areas in the country (160)
- The Southwestern nonmetropolitan area was ranked the fourth highest paying nonmetropolitan area for dental assistants in the country ($44,150/yr.)
In March 2013, the Washington Employment Security Department determined that dental assistants working in the state earned an average annual salary of $39,907.71. Non-salaried workers in this occupation earned an average hourly wage of $19.19 in that same year.
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Salary and Wage Percentiles for Dental Assistants in Washington
In 2013, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics discovered dental assistants in Washington were earning higher-than-average salaries as compared to national standards. The juxtaposition of state and national pay percentiles for dental assistants in that year is as follows:
- 10th Percentile WA: $28,000/yr. or $13.44/hr.
- 10th Percentile US: $24,200/yr. or $11.64/hr.
- 25th Percentile WA: $33,200/yr. or $15.98/hr.
- 25th Percentile US: $28,800/yr. or $13.86/hr.
- Median Percentile WA: $39,800/yr. or $19.14/hr.
- Median Percentile US: $34,900/yr. or $16.78/hr.
- 75th Percentile WA: $46,300/yr. or $22.24/hr.
- 75th Percentile US: $42,000/yr. or $20.18/hr.
- 90th Percentile WA: $53,900/yr. or $25.92/hr.
- 90th Percentile US: $48,400/yr. or $23.25/hr.
Area-specific salary and wage information for dental assistants in Washington is featured in the table found below (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013):