How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Bowling Green, KY in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Bowling Green, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Kentucky.
BLS OES May 2025 · Bowling Green metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Bowling Green, Kentucky earns $22.10 per hour, or $45,970 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,831 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $35,470, and the top 10% of earners make over $60,410.
That pay is 4% below the Kentucky figure of $47,730 and 4% below the national figure of $48,070. Bowling Green ranks 5th of 7 metro areas in Kentucky for Dental Assistant pay. About 220 Dental Assistants work in the Bowling Green area.
Dental Assistant pay in Bowling Green at a glance
- Typical pay is $22.10 an hour, or $45,970 a year.
- That is 4% below the Kentucky figure, ranking 5th of 7 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $35,470; the top 10% make over $60,410.
- Typical pay rose +41% from 2015 to 2025, against +43% for Kentucky as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Bowling Green?
Pay in Bowling Green runs from entry-level positions at around $17.06 an hour to more than $29.04 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Kentucky and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Bowling Green
| Career stage | Bowling Green | Kentucky | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $35,470$17.06 an hour | $35,600$17.11 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $44,300$21.30 an hour | $42,400$20.38 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $45,970$22.10 an hour | $47,730$22.95 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $58,960$28.35 an hour | $56,760$27.29 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $60,410$29.04 an hour | $62,050$29.83 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Bowling Green area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Bowling Green
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Bowling Green area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Bowling Green was $32,620 a year. By 2025 it had reached $45,970, a change of +41%, compared with +43% for Kentucky over the same years.
How Bowling Green compares with other Kentucky cities
Louisville pays Dental Assistants the most in Kentucky at $49,100 a year, $3,130 more than Bowling Green. The lowest-paying area in the state is Ashland at $42,660.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Bowling Green | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville metro incl. Jefferson County | $49,100 | $23.61 | +7% | 1,500 |
| 2 | Lexington metro incl. Fayette | $48,690 | $23.41 | +6% | 750 |
| 3 | Paducah | $46,750 | $22.48 | +2% | 190 |
| 4 | Elizabethtown | $46,410 | $22.31 | +1% | 140 |
| 5 | Bowling Green | $45,970 | $22.10 | this city | 220 |
| 6 | Owensboro | $45,330 | $21.79 | -1% | 160 |
| 7 | Ashland | $42,660 | $20.51 | -7% | 240 |
Every metro area in Kentucky with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Kentucky typical pay $47,730
Is Bowling Green a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistant pay in Bowling Green sits close to the national figure: $45,970 a year, 4% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Bowling Green area, about 2.7 are Dental Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.4. 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 Bowling Green, KY?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Bowling Green earns $45,970 a year, or $22.10 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $35,470 and the top 10% earn over $60,410.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Bowling Green?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Bowling Green is $22.10. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $17.06, and the top 10% earn over $29.04 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Bowling Green?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Bowling Green typically offer around $17.06 an hour, or $35,470 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Bowling Green higher than in the rest of Kentucky?
- Bowling Green pay is 4% below the Kentucky figure of $47,730 a year, ranking 5th of 7 metro areas in the state. Louisville pays the most in Kentucky at $49,100.