How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Lafayette, IN in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Lafayette, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Indiana.
BLS OES May 2025 · Lafayette · West Lafayette metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Lafayette, Indiana earns $23.43 per hour, or $48,730 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,061 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $36,550, and the top 10% of earners make over $57,620.
That pay is right at the Indiana figure of $48,670 and 1% above the national figure of $48,070. Lafayette ranks 6th of 14 metro areas in Indiana for Dental Assistant pay. About 190 Dental Assistants work in the Lafayette · West Lafayette area. Lafayette is part of the Lafayette · West Lafayette metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so West Lafayette share these figures.
Dental Assistant pay in Lafayette at a glance
- Typical pay is $23.43 an hour, or $48,730 a year.
- That is right at the Indiana figure, ranking 6th of 14 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $36,550; the top 10% make over $57,620.
- Typical pay rose +39% from 2015 to 2025, against +37% for Indiana as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Lafayette?
Pay in Lafayette runs from entry-level positions at around $17.57 an hour to more than $27.70 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 Lafayette
| Career stage | Lafayette | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $36,550$17.57 an hour | $36,880$17.73 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $38,500$18.51 an hour | $45,860$22.05 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $48,730$23.43 an hour | $48,670$23.40 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $53,740$25.84 an hour | $57,720$27.75 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $57,620$27.70 an hour | $60,590$29.13 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Lafayette · West Lafayette area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Lafayette
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Lafayette · West Lafayette area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Lafayette was $35,160 a year. By 2025 it had reached $48,730, a change of +39%, compared with +37% for Indiana over the same years.
How Lafayette compares with other Indiana cities
Goshen pays Dental Assistants the most in Indiana at $52,830 a year, $4,100 more than Lafayette. The lowest-paying area in the state is Muncie at $45,500.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Lafayette | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goshen metro incl. Elkhart | $52,830 | $25.40 | +8% | 160 |
| 2 | Jefferson County | $49,100 | $23.61 | +1% | 1,500 |
| 3 | Carmel metro incl. Indianapolis · Greenwood | $48,970 | $23.54 | 0% | 2,200 |
| 4 | Naperville metro incl. Elgin | $48,950 | $23.53 | 0% | 10,490 |
| 5 | La Porte metro incl. Michigan City | $48,920 | $23.52 | 0% | 80 |
| 6 | Lafayette metro incl. West Lafayette | $48,730 | $23.43 | this city | 190 |
| 7 | Fort Wayne | $48,670 | $23.40 | 0% | 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 Lafayette a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistant pay in Lafayette sits close to the national figure: $48,730 a year, 1% above the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Lafayette · West Lafayette area, about 1.9 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 Lafayette, IN?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Lafayette earns $48,730 a year, or $23.43 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $36,550 and the top 10% earn over $57,620.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Lafayette?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Lafayette is $23.43. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $17.57, and the top 10% earn over $27.70 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Lafayette?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Lafayette typically offer around $17.57 an hour, or $36,550 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Lafayette higher than in the rest of Indiana?
- Lafayette pay is right at the Indiana figure of $48,670 a year, ranking 6th of 14 metro areas in the state. Goshen pays the most in Indiana at $52,830.