Dental Assistant job growth projected to be faster than average through 2031: 8.4%
Dental Assistant vs. Dental Hygienist: What’s the Difference?
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Written and reported by:
All Allied Health Schools Staff
Dental assistants and dental hygienists do many of the same things from day to day, such as taking and developing X-rays and teaching patients about proper oral care. But they are not different names for the same job.
Here’s a breakdown of some key differences between dental assistants vs. dental hygienists.
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What Are the Differences?
Job Duties
Dental Assistants
Dental Hygienists
- Prepare patients for treatment
- Clean patients’ teeth and apply preventive treatments
- Clean instruments and equipment
- Administer local anesthetics
- Assist dentist during procedures
- Remove sutures and dressings
- Help with office management, including billing, record-keeping, and insurance paperwork
- Examine teeth and gums, collect information about patients’ oral and medical health history, and chart patients’ dental conditions for the dentist
Education
Dental Assistants
Dental Hygienists
- Some states require dental assistants to graduate from an accredited program with a certificate or diploma (nine months to a year). Some schools offer two-year associate’s degree dental assisting programs, which include general education classes.
- Dental hygienists usually need an associate’s degree (two years) to practice. Other less common options include certificates (a year or less), bachelor’s degree (four years) and master’s degrees (two years). (Years required to complete degree are based on full-time study.)
Licensing and Certification
Dental Assistants
Dental Hygienists
- Most dental assistants who choose to become nationally certified take the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exam. To take the exam, you need to graduate from an accredited training program or complete two years of full-time work as a dental assistant.
- Dental hygienists must be licensed by the state where they want to practice. To qualify, you need to graduate from an accredited training program and pass a regional or state clinical exam.
Median Annual Salaries
Education, experience, and location may play a factor in your salary for any career. Take a look at median annual salaries, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, for dental assistants and hygienists:
Dental Assistants
National data
Median Salary: $38,660
Projected job growth: 8.4%
10th Percentile: $29,580
25th Percentile: $37,000
75th Percentile: $47,580
90th Percentile: $59,540
Projected job growth: 8.4%
State data
| State | Median Salary | Bottom 10% | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $36,300 | $28,160 | $47,360 |
| Alaska | $47,720 | $37,610 | $61,000 |
| Arizona | $39,480 | $30,100 | $48,190 |
| Arkansas | $36,450 | $28,640 | $44,980 |
| California | $47,140 | $36,860 | $60,460 |
| Colorado | $46,170 | $29,990 | $60,100 |
| Connecticut | $47,190 | $37,070 | $60,110 |
| Delaware | $45,110 | $30,150 | $61,150 |
| District of Columbia | $47,550 | $31,200 | $61,040 |
| Florida | $37,790 | $29,670 | $48,110 |
| Georgia | $37,460 | $29,540 | $47,290 |
| Hawaii | $37,430 | $29,110 | $47,230 |
| Idaho | $37,100 | $29,280 | $46,780 |
| Illinois | $43,220 | $29,570 | $55,090 |
| Indiana | $38,280 | $29,460 | $56,500 |
| Iowa | $46,230 | $36,110 | $60,010 |
| Kansas | $37,490 | $29,010 | $47,660 |
| Kentucky | $37,080 | $28,840 | $47,890 |
| Louisiana | $30,280 | $23,890 | $46,830 |
| Maine | $46,630 | $36,690 | $49,340 |
| Maryland | $46,830 | $29,730 | $60,420 |
| Massachusetts | $48,000 | $37,420 | $61,870 |
| Michigan | $37,640 | $29,380 | $47,930 |
| Minnesota | $49,790 | $45,460 | $61,170 |
| Mississippi | $30,820 | $23,360 | $58,390 |
| Missouri | $37,470 | $29,490 | $47,580 |
| Montana | $37,220 | $29,790 | $47,950 |
| Nebraska | $38,100 | $35,350 | $47,550 |
| Nevada | $37,140 | $29,150 | $48,120 |
| New Hampshire | $47,600 | $38,290 | $60,670 |
| New Jersey | $46,970 | $31,180 | $57,680 |
| New Mexico | $37,250 | $29,450 | $47,620 |
| New York | $47,250 | $36,340 | $60,550 |
| North Carolina | $45,810 | $35,670 | $59,890 |
| North Dakota | $47,660 | $37,180 | $60,280 |
| Ohio | $39,040 | $29,740 | $60,200 |
| Oklahoma | $37,520 | $29,470 | $47,580 |
| Oregon | $47,850 | $37,240 | $60,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,780 | $29,740 | $60,850 |
| Rhode Island | $47,400 | $37,060 | $60,110 |
| South Carolina | $38,040 | $29,460 | $48,480 |
| South Dakota | $45,530 | $30,390 | $48,070 |
| Tennessee | $37,760 | $29,160 | $48,150 |
| Texas | $37,360 | $28,080 | $47,470 |
| Utah | $36,810 | $29,250 | $38,220 |
| Vermont | $46,910 | $36,810 | $59,300 |
| Virginia | $38,450 | $29,710 | $61,060 |
| Washington | $46,640 | $35,930 | $60,940 |
| West Virginia | $35,970 | $28,810 | $48,230 |
| Wisconsin | $39,090 | $31,030 | $49,040 |
| Wyoming | $38,410 | $29,360 | $48,510 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2021 median salary; projected job growth through 2031. Actual salaries may vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.
Dental Hygienists
National data
Median Salary: $77,810
Projected job growth: 8.9%
10th Percentile: $60,100
25th Percentile: $73,540
75th Percentile: $98,260
90th Percentile: $100,200
Projected job growth: 8.9%
State data
| State | Median Salary | Bottom 10% | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,540 | $44,690 | $61,560 |
| Alaska | $125,840 | $99,030 | $127,970 |
| Arizona | $78,140 | $74,590 | $99,620 |
| Arkansas | $77,360 | $51,750 | $96,520 |
| California | $99,440 | $98,180 | $126,900 |
| Colorado | $96,510 | $61,790 | $100,600 |
| Connecticut | $94,960 | $76,450 | $99,240 |
| Delaware | $80,080 | $75,440 | $98,030 |
| District of Columbia | $78,960 | $60,110 | $125,800 |
| Florida | $77,180 | $59,840 | $79,120 |
| Georgia | $76,240 | $59,790 | $95,100 |
| Hawaii | $77,730 | $61,340 | $101,260 |
| Idaho | $77,460 | $57,760 | $96,690 |
| Illinois | $77,270 | $60,840 | $98,920 |
| Indiana | $77,030 | $59,640 | $95,740 |
| Iowa | $77,030 | $61,330 | $80,220 |
| Kansas | $75,700 | $60,550 | $79,360 |
| Kentucky | $61,340 | $47,430 | $76,050 |
| Louisiana | $76,890 | $59,640 | $81,390 |
| Maine | $75,190 | $59,640 | $81,410 |
| Maryland | $98,360 | $61,070 | $99,680 |
| Massachusetts | $95,360 | $74,720 | $100,200 |
| Michigan | $62,180 | $59,280 | $78,070 |
| Minnesota | $77,810 | $69,700 | $97,700 |
| Mississippi | $59,440 | $39,490 | $76,990 |
| Missouri | $76,930 | $60,690 | $83,990 |
| Montana | $77,920 | $74,840 | $98,110 |
| Nebraska | $76,760 | $60,830 | $81,570 |
| Nevada | $97,340 | $60,840 | $99,420 |
| New Hampshire | $78,340 | $66,080 | $99,010 |
| New Jersey | $79,490 | $77,450 | $100,780 |
| New Mexico | $79,690 | $65,260 | $100,120 |
| New York | $78,470 | $60,900 | $99,440 |
| North Carolina | $76,820 | $59,010 | $81,030 |
| North Dakota | $75,440 | $60,760 | $78,670 |
| Ohio | $76,820 | $59,910 | $79,760 |
| Oklahoma | $79,380 | $48,400 | $99,650 |
| Oregon | $98,260 | $77,030 | $113,710 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,180 | $48,310 | $98,560 |
| Rhode Island | $77,980 | $76,840 | $78,270 |
| South Carolina | $62,500 | $47,160 | $80,450 |
| South Dakota | $76,550 | $60,870 | $81,410 |
| Tennessee | $75,220 | $43,540 | $81,720 |
| Texas | $77,600 | $60,250 | $94,690 |
| Utah | $77,510 | $60,680 | $78,700 |
| Vermont | $76,410 | $61,790 | $77,800 |
| Virginia | $89,930 | $48,240 | $99,330 |
| Washington | $99,940 | $94,580 | $126,830 |
| West Virginia | $60,430 | $45,770 | $77,550 |
| Wisconsin | $76,110 | $60,700 | $80,450 |
| Wyoming | $77,270 | $47,850 | $101,060 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2021 median salary; projected job growth through 2031. Actual salaries may vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.
Job Growth
Based on the national average for all jobs resting at 5% through 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Dental Hygienist job growth projected to be faster than average through 2031: 8.9%
What’s Next?
- Dental Assistants: Many dental assistants go back to school to get a dental hygienist degree.
- Dental Hygienists: With a bachelor’s or master’s degree, you can move up to research, teaching, or clinical practice in public or school health programs.
