Salary · PA · SOC 31-9091

Dental Assistant salary in Pennsylvania, per year and per hour

BLS data for May 2025. Median, mean, and percentile pay for dental assistants in Pennsylvania, with every metro area BLS publishes.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, released May 15, 2026. Publisher page

Quick answer

The median pay for dental assistants in Pennsylvania was $47,930 a year, or $23.05 an hour, in May 2025 (BLS). The middle 80% earned $38,040 to $61,430. About 12,080 were employed.

Run it in Rivvi

Benchmark dental assistant pay in Pennsylvania

Benchmark in Rivvi

Free to start, no card. Opens Rivvi, the AI workspace for healthcare teams, with this question filled in.

Dental Assistant pay in Pennsylvania vs the US

Dental Assistant wages in Pennsylvania and the US, May 2025
Measure	PA annual	PA hourly	US annual
Median (50th percentile)	$47,930	$23.05	$48,070
Mean (average)	$50,130	$24.10	$50,200
10th percentile	$38,040	$18.29	$37,130
25th percentile	$45,620	$21.93	$44,340
75th percentile	$56,840	$27.33	$58,090
90th percentile	$61,430	$29.53	$62,250

Employment in Pennsylvania: 12,080. Location quotient: 0.8 (1.0 = the national share of jobs).

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

Dental Assistant salary by metro area in Pennsylvania

Dental Assistant median wage by metro area, Pennsylvania
Metro area	Median annual	Median hourly	Employed
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$49,570	$23.83	6,510
Pittsburgh, PA	$47,690	$22.93	2,260
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	$47,590	$22.88	970
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	$47,420	$22.80	720
Lancaster, PA	$47,310	$22.75	630
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA	$47,220	$22.70	450
Reading, PA	$47,160	$22.67	370
York-Hanover, PA	$46,550	$22.38	350
Erie, PA	$44,930	$21.60	230
State College, PA	$46,210	$22.22	150
Chambersburg, PA	$46,200	$22.21	120
Johnstown, PA	$43,370	$20.85	110
Altoona, PA	$45,310	$21.78	90
Lebanon, PA	$46,740	$22.47	80
Gettysburg, PA	$45,930	$22.08	70
Williamsport, PA	$46,620	$22.41	70

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

Put this salary on your site

Free for career sites and schools. The box shows the BLS figures and period and links back here.

Dental Assistant salary in Pennsylvania

Median pay: $47,930 a year ($23.05 an hour)

Middle 80% earn $38,040 to $61,430 a year

Employed: 12,080

BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: Rivvi

HTML to paste on your site

<div style="font:14px/1.45 system-ui,sans-serif;color:#222;border:1px solid #E6E6EE;border-radius:12px;padding:14px 16px;max-width:360px;background:#fff"><div style="font-weight:600;font-size:15px;margin-bottom:6px">Dental Assistant salary in Pennsylvania</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Median pay: <strong>$47,930</strong> a year ($23.05 an hour)</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Middle 80% earn $38,040 to $61,430 a year</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Employed: 12,080</div><div style="margin-top:8px;font-size:12px;color:#555">BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: <a href="https://rivvi.ai/salary/dental-assistant/pa" style="color:#3C38C9">Rivvi</a></div></div>

Questions

How much does a Dental Assistant make per hour in Pennsylvania?

The median hourly wage was $23.05 in May 2025, per BLS. The 10th percentile was $18.29 and the 90th was $29.53.

What is the average Dental Assistant salary in Pennsylvania?

BLS reports a mean (average) of $50,130 a year and a median of $47,930 for May 2025. The median is the middle wage; the mean is pulled up by the highest earners.

Do dental assistants in Pennsylvania earn more than the US median?

The Pennsylvania median of $47,930 is 0% lower than the US median of $48,070 (BLS, May 2025).

How does Pennsylvania rank for dental assistant pay?

Pennsylvania ranks 25 of 50 states (plus DC) by median annual wage for dental assistants (BLS, May 2025).

Where do these numbers come from?

The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates, SOC 31-9091. Figures BLS did not publish are left out.