How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Fort Wayne, IN in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Fort Wayne, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Indiana.
BLS OES May 2025 · Fort Wayne metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Fort Wayne, Indiana earns $23.40 per hour, or $48,670 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,056 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $37,970, and the top 10% of earners make over $60,840.
That pay is right at the Indiana figure of $48,670 and 1% above the national figure of $48,070. Fort Wayne ranks 7th of 14 metro areas in Indiana for Dental Assistant pay. About 630 Dental Assistants work in the Fort Wayne area.
Dental Assistant pay in Fort Wayne at a glance
- Typical pay is $23.40 an hour, or $48,670 a year.
- That is right at the Indiana figure, ranking 7th of 14 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $37,970; the top 10% make over $60,840.
- Typical pay rose +37% from 2015 to 2025, against +37% for Indiana as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Fort Wayne?
Pay in Fort Wayne runs from entry-level positions at around $18.26 an hour to more than $29.25 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Indiana and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Fort Wayne
| Career stage | Fort Wayne | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $37,970$18.26 an hour | $36,880$17.73 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $47,150$22.67 an hour | $45,860$22.05 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $48,670$23.40 an hour | $48,670$23.40 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $59,140$28.43 an hour | $57,720$27.75 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $60,840$29.25 an hour | $60,590$29.13 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Fort Wayne area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Fort Wayne
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Fort Wayne area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Fort Wayne was $35,640 a year. By 2025 it had reached $48,670, a change of +37%, compared with +37% for Indiana over the same years.
How Fort Wayne compares with other Indiana cities
Goshen pays Dental Assistants the most in Indiana at $52,830 a year, $4,160 more than Fort Wayne. The lowest-paying area in the state is Muncie at $45,500.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Fort Wayne | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goshen metro incl. Elkhart | $52,830 | $25.40 | +9% | 160 |
| 2 | Jefferson County | $49,100 | $23.61 | +1% | 1,500 |
| 3 | Carmel metro incl. Indianapolis · Greenwood | $48,970 | $23.54 | +1% | 2,200 |
| 4 | Naperville metro incl. Elgin | $48,950 | $23.53 | +1% | 10,490 |
| 5 | La Porte metro incl. Michigan City | $48,920 | $23.52 | +1% | 80 |
| 6 | Lafayette metro incl. West Lafayette | $48,730 | $23.43 | 0% | 190 |
| 7 | Fort Wayne | $48,670 | $23.40 | this city | 630 |
| 8 | Kokomo | $48,360 | $23.25 | -1% | 140 |
| 9 | Bloomington | $48,170 | $23.16 | -1% | 130 |
| 10 | Evansville | $48,000 | $23.08 | -1% | 300 |
| 11 | Mishawaka metro incl. South Bend | $47,770 | $22.96 | -2% | 360 |
| 12 | Columbus | $47,260 | $22.72 | -3% | 120 |
| 13 | Terre Haute | $46,450 | $22.33 | -5% | 110 |
| 14 | Muncie | $45,500 | $21.88 | -7% | 140 |
Every metro area in Indiana with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Indiana typical pay $48,670
Is Fort Wayne a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistant pay in Fort Wayne sits close to the national figure: $48,670 a year, 1% above the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Fort Wayne area, about 2.8 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 Fort Wayne, IN?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Fort Wayne earns $48,670 a year, or $23.40 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $37,970 and the top 10% earn over $60,840.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Fort Wayne?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Fort Wayne is $23.40. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $18.26, and the top 10% earn over $29.25 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Fort Wayne?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Fort Wayne typically offer around $18.26 an hour, or $37,970 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Fort Wayne higher than in the rest of Indiana?
- Fort Wayne pay is right at the Indiana figure of $48,670 a year, ranking 7th of 14 metro areas in the state. Goshen pays the most in Indiana at $52,830.