How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Lakeland, FL in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Lakeland, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Florida.
BLS OES May 2025 · Lakeland · Winter Haven metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Lakeland, Florida earns $22.44 per hour, or $46,670 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,889 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $39,220, and the top 10% of earners make over $58,100.
That pay is 2% below the Florida figure of $47,620 and 3% below the national figure of $48,070. Lakeland ranks 9th of 22 metro areas in Florida for Dental Assistant pay. About 580 Dental Assistants work in the Lakeland · Winter Haven area. Lakeland is part of the Lakeland · Winter Haven metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Winter Haven share these figures.
Dental Assistant pay in Lakeland at a glance
- Typical pay is $22.44 an hour, or $46,670 a year.
- That is 2% below the Florida figure, ranking 9th of 22 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $39,220; the top 10% make over $58,100.
- Typical pay rose +38% from 2015 to 2025, against +36% for Florida as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Lakeland?
Pay in Lakeland runs from entry-level positions at around $18.86 an hour to more than $27.93 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Florida and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Lakeland
| Career stage | Lakeland | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $39,220$18.86 an hour | $37,800$18.17 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $44,430$21.36 an hour | $45,120$21.69 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $46,670$22.44 an hour | $47,620$22.89 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $56,910$27.36 an hour | $54,690$26.29 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $58,100$27.93 an hour | $58,880$28.31 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Lakeland · Winter Haven area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Lakeland
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Lakeland · Winter Haven area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Lakeland was $33,840 a year. By 2025 it had reached $46,670, a change of +38%, compared with +36% for Florida over the same years.
How Lakeland compares with other Florida cities
Marco Island pays Dental Assistants the most in Florida at $57,260 a year, $10,590 more than Lakeland. The lowest-paying area in the state is Ocala at $44,900.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Lakeland | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marco Island metro incl. Naples | $57,260 | $27.53 | +23% | 550 |
| 2 | Punta Gorda | $51,020 | $24.53 | +9% | 200 |
| 3 | Jacksonville | $50,270 | $24.17 | +8% | 1,850 |
| 4 | North Port | $48,190 | $23.17 | +3% | 1,170 |
| 5 | West Palm Beach metro incl. Miami · Fort Lauderdale | $47,860 | $23.01 | +3% | 9,180 |
| 6 | Melbourne metro incl. Palm Bay · Titusville | $47,400 | $22.79 | +2% | 800 |
| 7 | Destin metro incl. Fort Walton Beach · Crestview | $47,180 | $22.68 | +1% | 300 |
| 8 | St. Petersburg metro incl. Tampa · Clearwater | $46,890 | $22.54 | 0% | 3,560 |
| 9 | Lakeland metro incl. Winter Haven | $46,670 | $22.44 | this city | 580 |
| 10 | Kissimmee | $46,480 | $22.35 | 0% | 3,260 |
| 11 | Vero Beach metro incl. Sebastian · West Vero Corridor | $46,430 | $22.32 | -1% | 220 |
| 12 | Panama City Beach metro incl. Panama City | $46,420 | $22.32 | -1% | 180 |
| 13 | Port St. Lucie | $46,420 | $22.32 | -1% | 530 |
| 14 | Cape Coral metro incl. Fort Myers | $46,370 | $22.30 | -1% | 900 |
| 15 | Gainesville | $46,340 | $22.28 | -1% | 440 |
| 16 | Ferry Pass | $46,180 | $22.20 | -1% | 550 |
| 17 | The Villages metro incl. Wildwood | $46,120 | $22.17 | -1% | 150 |
| 18 | Daytona Beach metro incl. Ormond Beach · Deltona | $45,530 | $21.89 | -2% | 670 |
| 19 | Tallahassee | $45,330 | $21.80 | -3% | 340 |
| 20 | Sebring | $45,200 | $21.73 | -3% | 90 |
| 21 | Homosassa Springs | $45,140 | $21.70 | -3% | 100 |
| 22 | Ocala | $44,900 | $21.59 | -4% | 370 |
Every metro area in Florida with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Florida typical pay $47,620
Is Lakeland a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistant pay in Lakeland sits close to the national figure: $46,670 a year, 3% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Lakeland · Winter Haven area, about 2.2 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 Lakeland, FL?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Lakeland earns $46,670 a year, or $22.44 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $39,220 and the top 10% earn over $58,100.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Lakeland?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Lakeland is $22.44. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $18.86, and the top 10% earn over $27.93 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Lakeland?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Lakeland typically offer around $18.86 an hour, or $39,220 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Lakeland higher than in the rest of Florida?
- Lakeland pay is 2% below the Florida figure of $47,620 a year, ranking 9th of 22 metro areas in the state. Marco Island pays the most in Florida at $57,260.