Dental Assistants Salary
The median pay for a dental assistants in Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ is $45,620/year ($21.93/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.24), which stretches that salary to about $51,121 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,257/month, about 39.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Sierra Vista-Douglas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Sierra Vista-Douglas’s Regional Price Parity (89.24). 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas
Dental assistants pay in Sierra Vista-Douglas tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $48K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,257/month, which is 40.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.24 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $50K | $48K |
| Tucson | $48K | $49K |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman | $47K | $50K |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott | $48K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ
Entry-level dental assistants (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $20K 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Frequently asked questions
Can a dental assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Sierra Vista-Douglas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 40.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,257/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for dental assistants in Sierra Vista-Douglas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dental assistants typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,205/month. At HUD’s $1,257/month FMR, rent would take 57% 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $48K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Sierra Vista-Douglas compare to the national average for dental assistants?
Sierra Vista-Douglas pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.24), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do dental assistants make in Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ?
The median is $45,620 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,750, and experienced dental assistants can clear $56,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Sierra Vista-Douglas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,130/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,257/month, which eats 40.2% 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas?
Sierra Vista-Douglas has a Regional Price Parity of 89.24 (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 $51,121 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.