How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Waterbury, CT in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Waterbury, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Connecticut.
BLS OES May 2025 · Waterbury · Shelton metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Waterbury, Connecticut earns $23.99 per hour, or $49,900 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,158 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $38,860, and the top 10% of earners make over $60,880.
That pay is 12% below the Connecticut figure of $56,850 and 4% above the national figure of $48,070. Waterbury ranks 5th of 5 metro areas in Connecticut for Dental Assistant pay. About 370 Dental Assistants work in the Waterbury · Shelton area. Waterbury is part of the Waterbury · Shelton metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Shelton share these figures.
Dental Assistant pay in Waterbury at a glance
- Typical pay is $23.99 an hour, or $49,900 a year.
- That is 12% below the Connecticut figure, ranking 5th of 5 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $38,860; the top 10% make over $60,880.
- Typical pay rose +35% from 2015 to 2025, against +37% for Connecticut as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Waterbury?
Pay in Waterbury runs from entry-level positions at around $18.68 an hour to more than $29.27 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Connecticut and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Waterbury
| Career stage | Waterbury | Connecticut | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $38,860$18.68 an hour | $38,630$18.57 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $47,860$23.01 an hour | $48,360$23.25 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $49,900$23.99 an hour | $56,850$27.33 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $59,910$28.81 an hour | $59,650$28.68 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $60,880$29.27 an hour | $60,900$29.28 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Waterbury · Shelton area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Waterbury
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Waterbury · Shelton area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Waterbury was $36,880 a year. By 2025 it had reached $49,900, a change of +35%, compared with +37% for Connecticut over the same years.
How Waterbury compares with other Connecticut cities
Bridgeport pays Dental Assistants the most in Connecticut at $57,770 a year, $7,870 more than Waterbury. The lowest-paying area in the state is Shelton at $49,900.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Waterbury | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bridgeport | $57,770 | $27.77 | +16% | 970 |
| 2 | Willimantic metro incl. New London · Norwich | $56,850 | $27.33 | +14% | 240 |
| 3 | New Haven | $56,650 | $27.24 | +14% | 530 |
| 4 | East Hartford metro incl. West Hartford · Hartford | $56,160 | $27.00 | +13% | 1,590 |
| 5 | Waterbury metro incl. Shelton | $49,900 | $23.99 | this city | 370 |
Every metro area in Connecticut with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Connecticut typical pay $56,850
Is Waterbury a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistant pay in Waterbury sits close to the national figure: $49,900 a year, 4% above the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Waterbury · Shelton area, about 2.3 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 Waterbury, CT?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Waterbury earns $49,900 a year, or $23.99 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $38,860 and the top 10% earn over $60,880.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Waterbury?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Waterbury is $23.99. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $18.68, and the top 10% earn over $29.27 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Waterbury?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Waterbury typically offer around $18.68 an hour, or $38,860 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Waterbury higher than in the rest of Connecticut?
- Waterbury pay is 12% below the Connecticut figure of $56,850 a year, ranking 5th of 5 metro areas in the state. Bridgeport pays the most in Connecticut at $57,770.