How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Modesto, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Modesto, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · Modesto metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Modesto, California earns $24.12 per hour, or $50,170 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,181 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $38,400, and the top 10% of earners make over $62,460.
That pay is right at the California figure of $50,110 and 4% above the national figure of $48,070. Modesto ranks 14th of 25 metro areas in California for Dental Assistant pay. About 890 Dental Assistants work in the Modesto area.
Dental Assistant pay in Modesto at a glance
- Typical pay is $24.12 an hour, or $50,170 a year.
- That is right at the California figure, ranking 14th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $38,400; the top 10% make over $62,460.
- Typical pay rose +69% from 2015 to 2025, against +35% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Modesto?
Pay in Modesto runs from entry-level positions at around $18.46 an hour to more than $30.03 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Modesto
| Career stage | Modesto | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $38,400$18.46 an hour | $38,790$18.65 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $47,230$22.71 an hour | $46,270$22.25 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $50,170$24.12 an hour | $50,110$24.09 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $59,680$28.69 an hour | $60,670$29.17 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $62,460$30.03 an hour | $73,700$35.43 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Modesto area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Modesto
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Modesto area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Modesto was $29,760 a year. By 2025 it had reached $50,170, a change of +69%, compared with +35% for California over the same years.
How Modesto compares with other California cities
Santa Clara pays Dental Assistants the most in California at $74,600 a year, $24,430 more than Modesto. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $46,630.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Modesto | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara | $74,600 | $35.86 | +49% | 2,870 |
| 2 | Oakland metro incl. Fremont · San Francisco | $64,390 | $30.96 | +28% | 7,530 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $60,590 | $29.13 | +21% | 680 |
| 4 | Napa | $60,270 | $28.97 | +20% | 230 |
| 5 | Vallejo | $59,000 | $28.37 | +18% | 630 |
| 6 | Ventura metro incl. Thousand Oaks · Oxnard | $58,930 | $28.33 | +17% | 1,250 |
| 7 | Folsom metro incl. Sacramento · Roseville | $58,580 | $28.16 | +17% | 3,100 |
| 8 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $58,580 | $28.16 | +17% | 370 |
| 9 | Carlsbad metro incl. Chula Vista · San Diego | $58,120 | $27.94 | +16% | 4,260 |
| 10 | San Luis Obispo metro incl. Paso Robles | $57,150 | $27.47 | +14% | 440 |
| 11 | Salinas | $56,790 | $27.30 | +13% | 570 |
| 12 | El Centro | $56,050 | $26.95 | +12% | 130 |
| 13 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $51,310 | $24.67 | +2% | 610 |
| 14 | Modesto | $50,170 | $24.12 | this city | 890 |
| 15 | Fresno | $50,040 | $24.06 | 0% | 1,360 |
| 16 | Yuba City | $50,030 | $24.05 | 0% | 240 |
| 17 | Hanford metro incl. Corcoran | $49,980 | $24.03 | 0% | 200 |
| 18 | Lodi metro incl. Stockton | $49,090 | $23.60 | -2% | 780 |
| 19 | Merced | $48,520 | $23.33 | -3% | 250 |
| 20 | Ontario metro incl. Riverside · San Bernardino | $48,500 | $23.32 | -3% | 5,240 |
| 21 | Redding | $48,490 | $23.31 | -3% | 240 |
| 22 | Chico | $48,170 | $23.16 | -4% | 290 |
| 23 | Delano metro incl. Bakersfield | $48,100 | $23.12 | -4% | 990 |
| 24 | Anaheim metro incl. Los Angeles · Long Beach | $46,900 | $22.55 | -7% | 21,090 |
| 25 | Visalia | $46,630 | $22.42 | -7% | 480 |
Every metro area in California with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $50,110
Is Modesto a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistant pay in Modesto sits close to the national figure: $50,170 a year, 4% above the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Modesto area, about 4.6 are Dental Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.5. That makes the local economy more reliant on Dental Assistants than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Assistant make in Modesto, CA?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Modesto earns $50,170 a year, or $24.12 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $38,400 and the top 10% earn over $62,460.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Modesto?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Modesto is $24.12. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $18.46, and the top 10% earn over $30.03 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Modesto?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Modesto typically offer around $18.46 an hour, or $38,400 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Modesto higher than in the rest of California?
- Modesto pay is right at the California figure of $50,110 a year, ranking 14th of 25 metro areas in the state. Santa Clara pays the most in California at $74,600.