Dental Assistant Salary: What The Newest Trends Show
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The subject of this article is the dental assistant salary. In 2010, research showed that by 2018, the demand for oral assistants is expected to increase by around 38 to 40 percent. With there already being nearly 300,000 individuals in this career field this past year, this expansion means that nearly 120,000 positions should become available by 2018. As the demand in this field increases, this would also mean an increase for this position's salary too.
Statistics from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the 2010 dental assistant average wage was around $34,100 per year and $16.40 per hour. For those in the top ten percent of this particular job, they averaged around $47,000 per year and nearly $22.60 per hour. Those in the bottom ten percent of this job averaged around $22,700 per year and near $10.90 per hour.
The large differences in the dental assistant salary estimates have several contributing factors. The amount of experience and level of education an individual has can play an impact on how much the individual earns during their career. Of course, entry-level dental assistants will not earn nearly as much money as a tenured assistant. Also, those who have graduated with a degree from a university will earn a lot more on average than those who earn a diploma or certificate from a dental program.
Another big factor in the amount individuals earn in this field are contributed to the state they choose to practice in. All states vary in the salaries they produce for this particular job position. The dental assistant salary will vary depending demand level for this particular job in each state, and the area of the country that each state lies. For this position, the top five average highest earnings by state are:
*District of Columbia- $22.90/hour $47,630/annually
*Alaska- $20.20/hour $42,020/annually
*New Hampshire- $20.02/hour $41,640/annually
*Minnesota- $19.79/hour $41,170/annually
*Connecticut- $19.32/hour $40,180/annually
The actual environment that one chooses to work in also has a big effect on the dental assistant salary. The money earned each year is different depending on which job industry one chooses. Dental office jobs tend to earn less annually than certain government or specialty hospital jobs. The industries with the largest average earnings are:
*Specialty Hospitals- $18.58/hour $38,650/annually
*Federal Executive Branch- $18.33/hour $38,130/annually
*State Government- $17.14/hour $35,650/annually
*Psychiatric/ Substance Abuse Hospitals- $17.12/hour $36,610/annually
*General Medical/ Surgical Hospitals- $17.12/hour $36,610/annually
Another large incentive in being an oral assistant other than the salary associated with the job position is the various benefits that come with the position. Most assistants receive paid vacations and also receive huge discounts on dental bills. These benefits do vary by state and jobs and also depends on if the individual is employed full-time or not.
Regardless of the numbers, the dental assistant salary far outweighs the training necessary for this position. As this salary is projected to raise, there will continue to be a substantial increase in dental assistants.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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