Dental Assistants Salary
The median pay for a dental assistants in Grand Forks, ND-MN is $57,770/year ($27.78/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $70K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.66), which stretches that salary to about $66,663 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,089/month, or 28.2% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $58K actually covers in Grand Forks, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Grand Forks’s Regional Price Parity (86.66). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About dental assistants
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What this looks like in Grand Forks
Grand Forks sits well above the national pay line for dental assistants, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $48K. Rent runs $1,089/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for dental assistants in metros near Grand Forks, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Fargo | $57K | $63K |
| Bismarck | $59K | $65K |
| Minot | $58K | $66K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $72K | $69K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Grand Forks, ND-MN
Entry-level dental assistants (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $70K or more, a $25K spread from bottom to top.
Dental Assistants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Dental Assistants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $65K | +36% | 5,980 |
| District of Columbia | $61K | +26% | 630 |
| Maine | $60K | +25% | 1,550 |
| New Hampshire | $60K | +24% | 1,600 |
| Oregon | $59K | +24% | 5,930 |
| Washington | $58K | +21% | 13,050 |
| Massachusetts | $58K | +21% | 9,680 |
| North Dakota | $58K | +20% | 860 |
| Alaska | $58K | +20% | 1,140 |
| Connecticut | $57K | +18% | 3,840 |
| Vermont | $53K | +10% | 580 |
| North Carolina | $50K | +5% | 11,450 |
| Rhode Island | $50K | +4% | 1,050 |
| California | $50K | +4% | 56,220 |
| New Jersey | $49K | +3% | 9,990 |
| Arizona | $49K | +2% | 8,680 |
| Michigan | $49K | +2% | 11,990 |
| Indiana | $49K | +1% | 6,690 |
| Maryland | $49K | +1% | 6,560 |
| Illinois | $49K | +1% | 13,740 |
| Iowa | $48K | +1% | 3,210 |
| Colorado | $48K | +1% | 8,360 |
| New York | $48K | +0% | 19,800 |
| Ohio | $48K | -0% | 12,150 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -0% | 12,080 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -0% | 1,290 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -1% | 4,530 |
| Florida | $48K | -1% | 26,620 |
| Delaware | $48K | -1% | 990 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | -1% | 7,760 |
| South Carolina | $47K | -2% | 5,530 |
| Nevada | $47K | -2% | 4,230 |
| Georgia | $47K | -3% | 10,540 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -3% | 7,420 |
| Montana | $47K | -3% | 1,450 |
| Virginia | $47K | -3% | 10,760 |
| Nebraska | $47K | -3% | 2,520 |
| Missouri | $46K | -4% | 6,760 |
| Idaho | $46K | -5% | 2,680 |
| Oklahoma | $46K | -5% | 4,550 |
| Texas | $45K | -5% | 33,230 |
| Wyoming | $45K | -6% | 630 |
| Hawaii | $45K | -7% | 1,960 |
| New Mexico | $44K | -8% | 2,150 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -8% | 4,540 |
| Arkansas | $43K | -11% | 2,950 |
| Mississippi | $39K | -19% | 3,080 |
| Alabama | $39K | -19% | 3,740 |
| West Virginia | $38K | -21% | 1,290 |
| Utah | $38K | -21% | 6,640 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track dental assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Grand Forks numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a dental assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Grand Forks?
Yes — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 27.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,089/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for dental assistants in Grand Forks?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dental assistants typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,129/month. At HUD’s $1,089/month FMR, rent would take 35% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is dental assistant a high-paying job in Grand Forks?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $58K here vs. $48K nationally.
How does Grand Forks compare to the national average for dental assistants?
Grand Forks pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do dental assistants make in Grand Forks, ND-MN?
The median is $57,770 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,300, and experienced dental assistants can clear $70,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Grand Forks?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,944/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,089/month, which eats 27.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a dental assistants salary go in Grand Forks?
Grand Forks has a Regional Price Parity of 86.66 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median dental assistants salary is worth about $66,663 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do dental assistants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.