How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Lafayette, LA 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 Louisiana.
BLS OES May 2025 · Lafayette metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Lafayette, Louisiana earns $21.60 per hour, or $44,940 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,745 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $32,130, and the top 10% of earners make over $79,070.
That pay is 2% above the Louisiana figure of $44,090 and 7% below the national figure of $48,070. Lafayette ranks 4th of 10 metro areas in Louisiana for Dental Assistant pay. About 620 Dental Assistants work in the Lafayette area.
Dental Assistant pay in Lafayette at a glance
- Typical pay is $21.60 an hour, or $44,940 a year.
- That is 2% above the Louisiana figure, ranking 4th of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $32,130; the top 10% make over $79,070.
- Typical pay rose +61% from 2015 to 2025, against +54% for Louisiana 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 $15.45 an hour to more than $38.02 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Louisiana and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Lafayette
| Career stage | Lafayette | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $32,130$15.45 an hour | $31,050$14.93 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $35,280$16.96 an hour | $36,590$17.59 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $44,940$21.60 an hour | $44,090$21.20 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $46,410$22.31 an hour | $46,630$22.42 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $79,070$38.02 an hour | $49,640$23.87 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Lafayette area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Lafayette
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the 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 $27,970 a year. By 2025 it had reached $44,940, a change of +61%, compared with +54% for Louisiana over the same years.
How Lafayette compares with other Louisiana cities
Hammond pays Dental Assistants the most in Louisiana at $45,950 a year, $1,010 more than Lafayette. The lowest-paying area in the state is Monroe at $37,020.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Lafayette | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hammond | $45,950 | $22.09 | +2% | 100 |
| 2 | New Orleans metro incl. Metairie | $45,920 | $22.08 | +2% | 760 |
| 3 | Covington metro incl. Mandeville · Slidell | $45,020 | $21.65 | 0% | 370 |
| 4 | Lafayette | $44,940 | $21.60 | this city | 620 |
| 5 | Baton Rouge | $44,800 | $21.54 | 0% | 950 |
| 6 | Alexandria | $43,270 | $20.80 | -4% | 120 |
| 7 | Lake Charles | $40,200 | $19.33 | -11% | 220 |
| 8 | Shreveport metro incl. Bossier City | $38,950 | $18.73 | -13% | 410 |
| 9 | Thibodaux metro incl. Bayou Cane · Houma | $37,870 | $18.21 | -16% | 210 |
| 10 | Monroe | $37,020 | $17.80 | -18% | 310 |
Every metro area in Louisiana with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Louisiana typical pay $44,090
Is Lafayette a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistants in Lafayette earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $44,940 a year, 7% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Lafayette 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 Lafayette, LA?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Lafayette earns $44,940 a year, or $21.60 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $32,130 and the top 10% earn over $79,070.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Lafayette?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Lafayette is $21.60. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $15.45, and the top 10% earn over $38.02 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Lafayette?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Lafayette typically offer around $15.45 an hour, or $32,130 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Lafayette higher than in the rest of Louisiana?
- Lafayette pay is 2% above the Louisiana figure of $44,090 a year, ranking 4th of 10 metro areas in the state. Hammond pays the most in Louisiana at $45,950.