How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Boulder, CO in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Boulder, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Colorado.
BLS OES May 2025 · Boulder metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Boulder, Colorado earns $28.25 per hour, or $58,760 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,897 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $46,530, and the top 10% of earners make over $73,010.
That pay is 22% above the Colorado figure of $48,340 and 22% above the national figure of $48,070. Boulder ranks 1st of 7 metro areas in Colorado for Dental Assistant pay. About 520 Dental Assistants work in the Boulder area.
Dental Assistant pay in Boulder at a glance
- Typical pay is $28.25 an hour, or $58,760 a year.
- That is 22% above the Colorado figure, ranking 1st of 7 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $46,530; the top 10% make over $73,010.
- Typical pay rose +55% from 2015 to 2025, against +29% for Colorado as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Boulder?
Pay in Boulder runs from entry-level positions at around $22.37 an hour to more than $35.10 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Colorado and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Boulder
| Career stage | Boulder | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $46,530$22.37 an hour | $38,500$18.51 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $47,090$22.64 an hour | $45,520$21.89 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $58,760$28.25 an hour | $48,340$23.24 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $59,680$28.69 an hour | $58,340$28.05 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $73,010$35.10 an hour | $60,540$29.10 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Boulder area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Boulder
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Boulder area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Boulder was $37,820 a year. By 2025 it had reached $58,760, a change of +55%, compared with +29% for Colorado over the same years.
How Boulder compares with other Colorado cities
Boulder pays Dental Assistants the most of any metro area in Colorado. The lowest-paying area in the state is Pueblo at $45,710.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Boulder | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boulder | $58,760 | $28.25 | this city | 520 |
| 2 | Denver metro incl. Aurora · Centennial | $49,490 | $23.79 | -16% | 4,160 |
| 3 | Colorado Springs | $48,290 | $23.22 | -18% | 1,360 |
| 4 | Fort Collins metro incl. Loveland | $48,080 | $23.11 | -18% | 510 |
| 5 | Greeley | $47,270 | $22.73 | -20% | 360 |
| 6 | Grand Junction | $46,350 | $22.28 | -21% | 300 |
| 7 | Pueblo | $45,710 | $21.97 | -22% | 260 |
Every metro area in Colorado with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Colorado typical pay $48,340
Is Boulder a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistants in Boulder earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $58,760 a year, 22% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Boulder area, about 2.7 are Dental Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.5. Dental Assistant jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Assistant make in Boulder, CO?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Boulder earns $58,760 a year, or $28.25 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $46,530 and the top 10% earn over $73,010.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Boulder?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Boulder is $28.25. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $22.37, and the top 10% earn over $35.10 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Boulder?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Boulder typically offer around $22.37 an hour, or $46,530 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Boulder higher than in the rest of Colorado?
- Boulder pay is 22% above the Colorado figure of $48,340 a year, ranking 1st of 7 metro areas in the state.