How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Waterloo, IA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Waterloo, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Iowa.
BLS OES May 2025 · Waterloo · Cedar Falls metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Waterloo, Iowa earns $23.06 per hour, or $47,970 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,998 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $38,150, and the top 10% of earners make over $59,360.
That pay is 1% below the Iowa figure of $48,430 and right at the national figure of $48,070. Waterloo ranks 6th of 8 metro areas in Iowa for Dental Assistant pay. About 170 Dental Assistants work in the Waterloo · Cedar Falls area. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo · Cedar Falls metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Cedar Falls share these figures.
Dental Assistant pay in Waterloo at a glance
- Typical pay is $23.06 an hour, or $47,970 a year.
- That is 1% below the Iowa figure, ranking 6th of 8 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $38,150; the top 10% make over $59,360.
- Typical pay rose +53% from 2015 to 2025, against +29% for Iowa as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Waterloo?
Pay in Waterloo runs from entry-level positions at around $18.34 an hour to more than $28.54 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Iowa and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Waterloo
| Career stage | Waterloo | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $38,150$18.34 an hour | $39,360$18.92 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $46,840$22.52 an hour | $45,990$22.11 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $47,970$23.06 an hour | $48,430$23.28 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $57,520$27.66 an hour | $57,620$27.70 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $59,360$28.54 an hour | $59,580$28.65 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Waterloo · Cedar Falls area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Waterloo
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Waterloo · Cedar Falls area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Waterloo was $31,450 a year. By 2025 it had reached $47,970, a change of +53%, compared with +29% for Iowa over the same years.
How Waterloo compares with other Iowa cities
Des Moines pays Dental Assistants the most in Iowa at $50,020 a year, $2,050 more than Waterloo. The lowest-paying area in the state is Davenport at $47,410.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Waterloo | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Moines metro incl. West Des Moines | $50,020 | $24.05 | +4% | 660 |
| 2 | Iowa City | $49,230 | $23.67 | +3% | 280 |
| 3 | Ames | $49,140 | $23.63 | +2% | 110 |
| 4 | Sioux City | $48,590 | $23.36 | +1% | 190 |
| 5 | Cedar Rapids | $48,310 | $23.23 | +1% | 370 |
| 6 | Waterloo metro incl. Cedar Falls | $47,970 | $23.06 | this city | 170 |
| 7 | Dubuque | $47,850 | $23.00 | 0% | 160 |
| 8 | Davenport | $47,410 | $22.79 | -1% | 380 |
Every metro area in Iowa with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Iowa typical pay $48,430
Is Waterloo a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistant pay in Waterloo sits close to the national figure: $47,970 a year, right at the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Waterloo · Cedar Falls area, about 2.0 are Dental Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.5. That makes Dental Assistants a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Assistant make in Waterloo, IA?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Waterloo earns $47,970 a year, or $23.06 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $38,150 and the top 10% earn over $59,360.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Waterloo?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Waterloo is $23.06. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $18.34, and the top 10% earn over $28.54 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Waterloo?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Waterloo typically offer around $18.34 an hour, or $38,150 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Waterloo higher than in the rest of Iowa?
- Waterloo pay is 1% below the Iowa figure of $48,430 a year, ranking 6th of 8 metro areas in the state. Des Moines pays the most in Iowa at $50,020.