How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Opelika, AL in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Opelika, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Alabama.
BLS OES May 2025 · Auburn · Opelika metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Opelika, Alabama earns $18.53 per hour, or $38,550 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,213 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $31,540, and the top 10% of earners make over $48,130.
That pay is 1% below the Alabama figure of $39,080 and 20% below the national figure of $48,070. Opelika ranks 5th of 12 metro areas in Alabama for Dental Assistant pay. About 130 Dental Assistants work in the Auburn · Opelika area. Opelika is part of the Auburn · Opelika metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Auburn share these figures.
Dental Assistant pay in Opelika at a glance
- Typical pay is $18.53 an hour, or $38,550 a year.
- That is 1% below the Alabama figure, ranking 5th of 12 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $31,540; the top 10% make over $48,130.
- Typical pay rose +26% from 2015 to 2025, against +29% for Alabama as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Opelika?
Pay in Opelika runs from entry-level positions at around $15.16 an hour to more than $23.14 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Alabama and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Opelika
| Career stage | Opelika | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $31,540$15.16 an hour | $30,840$14.83 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $35,970$17.29 an hour | $36,190$17.40 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $38,550$18.53 an hour | $39,080$18.79 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $46,850$22.53 an hour | $47,100$22.64 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $48,130$23.14 an hour | $51,400$24.71 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Auburn · Opelika area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Opelika
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Auburn · Opelika area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Opelika was $30,650 a year. By 2025 it had reached $38,550, a change of +26%, compared with +29% for Alabama over the same years.
How Opelika compares with other Alabama cities
Huntsville pays Dental Assistants the most in Alabama at $43,930 a year, $5,380 more than Opelika. The lowest-paying area in the state is Gadsden at $35,690.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Opelika | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huntsville | $43,930 | $21.12 | +14% | 390 |
| 2 | Birmingham | $42,050 | $20.22 | +9% | 1,120 |
| 3 | Decatur | $40,440 | $19.44 | +5% | 90 |
| 4 | Mobile | $38,800 | $18.65 | +1% | 310 |
| 5 | Opelika metro incl. Auburn | $38,550 | $18.53 | this city | 130 |
| 6 | Montgomery | $38,260 | $18.39 | -1% | 280 |
| 7 | Daphne | $38,220 | $18.37 | -1% | 260 |
| 8 | Tuscaloosa | $38,050 | $18.29 | -1% | 200 |
| 9 | Muscle Shoals metro incl. Florence | $37,170 | $17.87 | -4% | 120 |
| 10 | Oxford metro incl. Anniston | $37,060 | $17.82 | -4% | 80 |
| 11 | Dothan | $36,820 | $17.70 | -4% | 140 |
| 12 | Gadsden | $35,690 | $17.16 | -7% | 70 |
Every metro area in Alabama with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Alabama typical pay $39,080
Is Opelika a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistants in Opelika earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $38,550 a year, 20% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Auburn · Opelika area, about 1.8 are Dental Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.4. That makes Dental Assistants a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Assistant make in Opelika, AL?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Opelika earns $38,550 a year, or $18.53 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $31,540 and the top 10% earn over $48,130.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Opelika?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Opelika is $18.53. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $15.16, and the top 10% earn over $23.14 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Opelika?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Opelika typically offer around $15.16 an hour, or $31,540 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Opelika higher than in the rest of Alabama?
- Opelika pay is 1% below the Alabama figure of $39,080 a year, ranking 5th of 12 metro areas in the state. Huntsville pays the most in Alabama at $43,930.