Dental Assistants

31-9091.00 Zone 3 — Medium Preparation Needed

Perform limited clinical duties under the direction of a dentist. Clinical duties may include equipment preparation and sterilization, preparing patients for treatment, assisting the dentist during treatment, and providing patients with instructions for oral healthcare procedures. May perform administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes.

Also known as: Certified Dental Assistant (CDA), Certified Registered Dental Assistant, Dental Aide, Dental Assistant (DA), Dental Nurse, Dental Office Assistant, Dental Specialist, Dentist Attendant, ...

Annual Salary

$47,300

Median annual wage (May 2024)

$39,520 25th – 75th percentile $56,910
10th percentile $36,190
90th percentile $61,780
U.S. Employment: 375,430

Job Outlook

+6.4%

Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Faster than average)

Annual Job Openings 52,900 per year (avg. 2024–2034)
Typical education: Postsecondary nondegree award

What You'd Do

  • Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.
  • Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.
  • Record treatment information in patient records.
  • Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.
  • Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.
  • Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies.
  • Pour, trim, and polish study casts.
  • Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs.
  • Make preliminary impressions for study casts and occlusal registrations for mounting study casts.
  • Clean and polish removable appliances.

Top Skills

Active Listening 3.9
Speaking 3.4
Reading Comprehension 3.3
Instructing 3.1
Active Learning 3.1
Service Orientation 3.1
Monitoring 3.1
Social Perceptiveness 3.1

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Knowledge Areas

Customer and Personal Service 4.5
Medicine and Dentistry 4.4
English Language 3.8
Administration and Management 3.5
Administrative 3.5
Computers and Electronics 3.3
Sales and Marketing 3.3
Production and Processing 3.1

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level

Certificate
46%
High School
28.6%
Some College
17.1%
Associate's
8.3%

Technology & Tools

Software and tools commonly used in this role

In-Demand Technologies

Henry Schein Dentrix Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software

Other Tools

Email software Kodak Dental Systems Kodak SOFTDENT Practice management software PMS Open Dental Patterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft Quicken The Systems Workplace TDOCS Web browser software Word processing software

Work Styles

Personality traits and work styles important for this career

2.7
Attention to Detail
2.5
Dependability
2.4
Cooperation
2.1
Cautiousness
1.9
Integrity
1.9
Empathy
1.8
Social Orientation

Key Abilities

Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role

Near Vision 4.1
Oral Expression 4.0
Oral Comprehension 3.9
Speech Recognition 3.8
Written Comprehension 3.5
Deductive Reasoning 3.4
Information Ordering 3.3
Written Expression 3.1

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Work Activities

General types of job behaviors occurring on this job

Getting Information 4.6
Assisting and Caring for Others 4.5
Working with Computers 4.5
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events 4.4
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials 4.2
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public 4.2
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates 4.1
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings 4.0

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Work Environment

Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection
4.9
Contact With Others
4.8
Physical Proximity
4.8
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
4.6
Telephone Conversations
4.5
Health and Safety of Other Workers
4.5
Exposed to Radiation
4.5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
4.4
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
4.4
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
4.3
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities
4.3
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
4.0

Related Careers

Dentists, General
$173K
Chiropractors
$79K
Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric
$208K+
Dermatologists
$208K+
Cardiologists
$208K+
Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric
$208K+
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
$208K+
Pediatric Surgeons
$208K+
Prosthodontists
$208K+
Orthodontists
$208K+

Is Dental Assistants right for you?

Take our free career quiz to see how you match with this and 900+ other careers.

Take the Quiz

Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.