How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Lake Charles, LA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Lake Charles, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Louisiana.
BLS OES May 2025 · Lake Charles metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Lake Charles, Louisiana earns $19.33 per hour, or $40,200 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,350 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $29,400, and the top 10% of earners make over $49,190.
That pay is 9% below the Louisiana figure of $44,090 and 16% below the national figure of $48,070. Lake Charles ranks 7th of 10 metro areas in Louisiana for Dental Assistant pay. About 220 Dental Assistants work in the Lake Charles area.
Dental Assistant pay in Lake Charles at a glance
- Typical pay is $19.33 an hour, or $40,200 a year.
- That is 9% below the Louisiana figure, ranking 7th of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $29,400; the top 10% make over $49,190.
- Typical pay rose +62% from 2015 to 2025, against +54% for Louisiana as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Lake Charles?
Pay in Lake Charles runs from entry-level positions at around $14.14 an hour to more than $23.65 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 Lake Charles
| Career stage | Lake Charles | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $29,400$14.14 an hour | $31,050$14.93 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $35,020$16.84 an hour | $36,590$17.59 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $40,200$19.33 an hour | $44,090$21.20 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $48,850$23.49 an hour | $46,630$22.42 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $49,190$23.65 an hour | $49,640$23.87 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Lake Charles area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Lake Charles
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Lake Charles area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Lake Charles was $24,830 a year. By 2025 it had reached $40,200, a change of +62%, compared with +54% for Louisiana over the same years.
How Lake Charles compares with other Louisiana cities
Hammond pays Dental Assistants the most in Louisiana at $45,950 a year, $5,750 more than Lake Charles. The lowest-paying area in the state is Monroe at $37,020.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Lake Charles | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hammond | $45,950 | $22.09 | +14% | 100 |
| 2 | New Orleans metro incl. Metairie | $45,920 | $22.08 | +14% | 760 |
| 3 | Covington metro incl. Mandeville · Slidell | $45,020 | $21.65 | +12% | 370 |
| 4 | Lafayette | $44,940 | $21.60 | +12% | 620 |
| 5 | Baton Rouge | $44,800 | $21.54 | +11% | 950 |
| 6 | Alexandria | $43,270 | $20.80 | +8% | 120 |
| 7 | Lake Charles | $40,200 | $19.33 | this city | 220 |
| 8 | Shreveport metro incl. Bossier City | $38,950 | $18.73 | -3% | 410 |
| 9 | Thibodaux metro incl. Bayou Cane · Houma | $37,870 | $18.21 | -6% | 210 |
| 10 | Monroe | $37,020 | $17.80 | -8% | 310 |
Every metro area in Louisiana with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Louisiana typical pay $44,090
Is Lake Charles a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistants in Lake Charles earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $40,200 a year, 16% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Lake Charles area, about 2.2 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 Lake Charles, LA?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Lake Charles earns $40,200 a year, or $19.33 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $29,400 and the top 10% earn over $49,190.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Lake Charles?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Lake Charles is $19.33. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $14.14, and the top 10% earn over $23.65 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Lake Charles?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Lake Charles typically offer around $14.14 an hour, or $29,400 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Lake Charles higher than in the rest of Louisiana?
- Lake Charles pay is 9% below the Louisiana figure of $44,090 a year, ranking 7th of 10 metro areas in the state. Hammond pays the most in Louisiana at $45,950.