Dental Assistants Salary
The median pay for a dental assistants in Grants Pass, OR is $58,180/year ($27.97/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.76), that's roughly $59,513 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,363/month, about 35.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $58K get you in Grants Pass?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Grants Pass’s Regional Price Parity (97.76). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Grants Pass
Grants Pass sits well above the national pay line for dental assistants, local pay runs about 21% higher than the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,363/month, which is 37% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.76) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for dental assistants in metros near Grants Pass, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $60K | $57K |
| Salem | $59K | $57K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $59K | $58K |
| Bend | $60K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Grants Pass, OR
Entry-level dental assistants (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $14K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Grants Pass numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Frequently asked questions
Can a dental assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Grants Pass?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 37% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,363/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for dental assistants in Grants Pass?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dental assistants typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,960/month. At HUD’s $1,363/month FMR, rent would take 46% 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 Grants Pass?
Local pay is 21% above the national median — $58K here vs. $48K nationally.
How does Grants Pass compare to the national average for dental assistants?
Grants Pass pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s +21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.76), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do dental assistants make in Grants Pass, OR?
The median is $58,180 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,330, and experienced dental assistants can clear $63,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Grants Pass?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,685/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,363/month, which eats 37% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a dental assistants salary go in Grants Pass?
Grants Pass has a Regional Price Parity of 97.76 (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 $59,513 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.