How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Punta Gorda, FL in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Punta Gorda, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Florida.
BLS OES May 2025 · Punta Gorda metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Punta Gorda, Florida earns $24.53 per hour, or $51,020 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,252 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $38,520, and the top 10% of earners make over $57,180.
That pay is 7% above the Florida figure of $47,620 and 6% above the national figure of $48,070. Punta Gorda ranks 2nd of 22 metro areas in Florida for Dental Assistant pay. About 200 Dental Assistants work in the Punta Gorda area.
Dental Assistant pay in Punta Gorda at a glance
- Typical pay is $24.53 an hour, or $51,020 a year.
- That is 7% above the Florida figure, ranking 2nd of 22 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $38,520; the top 10% make over $57,180.
- Typical pay rose +49% from 2015 to 2025, against +36% for Florida as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Punta Gorda?
Pay in Punta Gorda runs from entry-level positions at around $18.52 an hour to more than $27.49 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 Punta Gorda
| Career stage | Punta Gorda | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $38,520$18.52 an hour | $37,800$18.17 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $46,080$22.15 an hour | $45,120$21.69 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $51,020$24.53 an hour | $47,620$22.89 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $51,400$24.71 an hour | $54,690$26.29 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $57,180$27.49 an hour | $58,880$28.31 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Punta Gorda area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Punta Gorda
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Punta Gorda area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Punta Gorda was $34,160 a year. By 2025 it had reached $51,020, a change of +49%, compared with +36% for Florida over the same years.
How Punta Gorda compares with other Florida cities
Marco Island pays Dental Assistants the most in Florida at $57,260 a year, $6,240 more than Punta Gorda. The lowest-paying area in the state is Ocala at $44,900.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Punta Gorda | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marco Island metro incl. Naples | $57,260 | $27.53 | +12% | 550 |
| 2 | Punta Gorda | $51,020 | $24.53 | this city | 200 |
| 3 | Jacksonville | $50,270 | $24.17 | -1% | 1,850 |
| 4 | North Port | $48,190 | $23.17 | -6% | 1,170 |
| 5 | West Palm Beach metro incl. Miami · Fort Lauderdale | $47,860 | $23.01 | -6% | 9,180 |
| 6 | Melbourne metro incl. Palm Bay · Titusville | $47,400 | $22.79 | -7% | 800 |
| 7 | Destin metro incl. Fort Walton Beach · Crestview | $47,180 | $22.68 | -8% | 300 |
| 8 | St. Petersburg metro incl. Tampa · Clearwater | $46,890 | $22.54 | -8% | 3,560 |
| 9 | Lakeland metro incl. Winter Haven | $46,670 | $22.44 | -9% | 580 |
| 10 | Kissimmee | $46,480 | $22.35 | -9% | 3,260 |
| 11 | Vero Beach metro incl. Sebastian · West Vero Corridor | $46,430 | $22.32 | -9% | 220 |
| 12 | Panama City Beach metro incl. Panama City | $46,420 | $22.32 | -9% | 180 |
| 13 | Port St. Lucie | $46,420 | $22.32 | -9% | 530 |
| 14 | Cape Coral metro incl. Fort Myers | $46,370 | $22.30 | -9% | 900 |
| 15 | Gainesville | $46,340 | $22.28 | -9% | 440 |
| 16 | Ferry Pass | $46,180 | $22.20 | -9% | 550 |
| 17 | The Villages metro incl. Wildwood | $46,120 | $22.17 | -10% | 150 |
| 18 | Daytona Beach metro incl. Ormond Beach · Deltona | $45,530 | $21.89 | -11% | 670 |
| 19 | Tallahassee | $45,330 | $21.80 | -11% | 340 |
| 20 | Sebring | $45,200 | $21.73 | -11% | 90 |
| 21 | Homosassa Springs | $45,140 | $21.70 | -12% | 100 |
| 22 | Ocala | $44,900 | $21.59 | -12% | 370 |
Every metro area in Florida with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Florida typical pay $47,620
Is Punta Gorda a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistants in Punta Gorda earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $51,020 a year, 6% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Punta Gorda area, about 3.5 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 Punta Gorda, FL?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Punta Gorda earns $51,020 a year, or $24.53 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $38,520 and the top 10% earn over $57,180.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Punta Gorda?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Punta Gorda is $24.53. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $18.52, and the top 10% earn over $27.49 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Punta Gorda?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Punta Gorda typically offer around $18.52 an hour, or $38,520 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Punta Gorda higher than in the rest of Florida?
- Punta Gorda pay is 7% above the Florida figure of $47,620 a year, ranking 2nd of 22 metro areas in the state. Marco Island pays the most in Florida at $57,260.