Indiana Dental Assistant Salary

Indiana’s flourishing health care industry is creating major employment gains for the dental assisting profession. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development postulates the number of dental assistants employed in the state will increase from 5,764 in 2010 to 7,642 by 2020.

This employment growth suggests a striking annual average growth rate of 2.9% for dental assistants. This percentage is far above the current annual average growth rate of just 1.3% for all occupations in the state.

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You know you’re ready to make the move to become an administrative or clinical dental assistant. All you need is the training to make it happen. Learn more about flexible training options and the cost of programs in your area.

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Advertised Wage Statistics for Dental Assistant Jobs in Indiana

Findings publicized by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development reveal that dental assistants employed throughout the state in 2013 earned an average annual salary of $35,220 and an average hourly wage of $16.93.

However, when the Department of Workforce Development researched advertised pay rates for dental assistant jobs in October 2014, salary and wage offers indicated a different set of averages:

  • Entry Level: $18,616/yr. or $8.95/hr.
  • Mean Level: $22,145/yr. or $10.65/hr.
  • Experienced Level: $27,354/yr. or $13.15/hr.
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Employers may ask job candidates to submit their preferred salary during the application process. In October 2014, the Department of Workforce Development found that dental assistants looking for jobs in Indiana indicated the following desired salary scales:

  • $20,000-$34,999/yr.: 83%
  • $35,000-$49,999/yr.: 56%
  • Not Specified: 60%
  • $5,000-$19,999/yr.: 18%
  • $50,000-$64,999/yr.: 83%

Geographic Salary Data for Dental Assistants in Indiana

According to the Department of Workforce Development, the top five paying metropolitan areas for dental assistants in 2013 were:

  • South Bend-Mishawaka-, IN-MI: $41,050/yr.
  • Elkhart-Goshen, IN: $40,930/yr.
  • Michigan City-La Porte, IN: $37,200/yr.
  • Anderson, IN: $36,510/yr.
  • Fort Wayne, IN: $36,290/yr.

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics also offers details on dental assistant wages and salaries by location in the table below (2013):

Area name
Employment
Annual mean wage
Anderson IN
90
36510
Bloomington IN
150
31920
Cincinnati-Middletown OH-KY-IN
1870
33440
Columbus IN
100
32820
Elkhart-Goshen IN
130
40930
Evansville IN-KY
290
35810
Fort Wayne IN
480
36290
Gary IN Metropolitan Division
770
35070
Indianapolis-Carmel IN
1800
35780
Kokomo IN
110
35400
Lafayette IN
290
35390
Louisville-Jefferson County KY-IN
1400
34860
Michigan City-La Porte IN
70
37200
Muncie IN
140
30180
South Bend-Mishawaka IN-MI
260
41050
Terre Haute IN
90
35370
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area
350
37180
Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area
250
26790
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area
270
31410