Dental Assistants Salary
The median pay for a dental assistants in Texas is $45,430/year ($21.84/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $49,656 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 43.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $45K get you in Texas?
About dental assistants
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What this looks like in Texas
Dental assistants pay in Texas tracks closely to the national median, $45K locally vs. $48K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 44.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level dental assistants (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Dental Assistants salary by metro in Texas
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $49K | +7% | 3,010 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $48K | +5% | 9,010 |
| Sherman-Denison | $46K | +1% | 240 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $46K | +1% | 3,820 |
| Midland | $46K | +1% | 190 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $45K | -1% | 350 |
| Killeen-Temple | $44K | -2% | 470 |
| Odessa | $44K | -2% | 150 |
| Amarillo | $44K | -3% | 280 |
| Victoria | $44K | -3% | 90 |
| Waco | $44K | -3% | 250 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $44K | -4% | 8,150 |
| College Station-Bryan | $44K | -4% | 270 |
| Longview | $43K | -5% | 280 |
| Wichita Falls | $40K | -11% | 120 |
| Lubbock | $40K | -12% | 440 |
| Abilene | $40K | -13% | 170 |
| El Paso | $39K | -14% | 840 |
| Corpus Christi | $39K | -15% | 380 |
| San Angelo | $39K | -15% | 110 |
| Tyler | $38K | -15% | 370 |
| Texarkana | $38K | -16% | 120 |
| Laredo | $38K | -17% | 190 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $38K | -17% | 330 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $37K | -18% | 670 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a dental assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 44.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for dental assistants in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dental assistants typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,124/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 67% 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 Texas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $45K locally vs. $48K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Texas compare to the national average for dental assistants?
Texas pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do dental assistants make in Texas?
The median is $45,430 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,400, and experienced dental assistants can clear $57,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,212/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 44.1% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $49,656 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.