How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in New Orleans, LA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in New Orleans, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Louisiana.
BLS OES May 2025 · New Orleans · Metairie metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in New Orleans, Louisiana earns $22.08 per hour, or $45,920 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,827 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $36,400, and the top 10% of earners make over $52,190.
That pay is 4% above the Louisiana figure of $44,090 and 4% below the national figure of $48,070. New Orleans ranks 2nd of 10 metro areas in Louisiana for Dental Assistant pay. About 760 Dental Assistants work in the New Orleans · Metairie area. New Orleans is part of the New Orleans · Metairie metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Metairie share these figures.
Dental Assistant pay in New Orleans at a glance
- Typical pay is $22.08 an hour, or $45,920 a year.
- That is 4% above the Louisiana figure, ranking 2nd of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $36,400; the top 10% make over $52,190.
- Typical pay rose +60% from 2015 to 2025, against +54% for Louisiana as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in New Orleans?
Pay in New Orleans runs from entry-level positions at around $17.50 an hour to more than $25.09 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 New Orleans
| Career stage | New Orleans | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $36,400$17.50 an hour | $31,050$14.93 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $37,610$18.08 an hour | $36,590$17.59 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $45,920$22.08 an hour | $44,090$21.20 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $47,960$23.06 an hour | $46,630$22.42 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $52,190$25.09 an hour | $49,640$23.87 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the New Orleans · Metairie area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in New Orleans
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the New Orleans · Metairie area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in New Orleans was $28,770 a year. By 2025 it had reached $45,920, a change of +60%, compared with +54% for Louisiana over the same years.
How New Orleans compares with other Louisiana cities
Hammond pays Dental Assistants the most in Louisiana at $45,950 a year, $30 more than New Orleans. The lowest-paying area in the state is Monroe at $37,020.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs New Orleans | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hammond | $45,950 | $22.09 | 0% | 100 |
| 2 | New Orleans metro incl. Metairie | $45,920 | $22.08 | this city | 760 |
| 3 | Covington metro incl. Mandeville · Slidell | $45,020 | $21.65 | -2% | 370 |
| 4 | Lafayette | $44,940 | $21.60 | -2% | 620 |
| 5 | Baton Rouge | $44,800 | $21.54 | -2% | 950 |
| 6 | Alexandria | $43,270 | $20.80 | -6% | 120 |
| 7 | Lake Charles | $40,200 | $19.33 | -12% | 220 |
| 8 | Shreveport metro incl. Bossier City | $38,950 | $18.73 | -15% | 410 |
| 9 | Thibodaux metro incl. Bayou Cane · Houma | $37,870 | $18.21 | -18% | 210 |
| 10 | Monroe | $37,020 | $17.80 | -19% | 310 |
Every metro area in Louisiana with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Louisiana typical pay $44,090
Is New Orleans a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistant pay in New Orleans sits close to the national figure: $45,920 a year, 4% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the New Orleans · Metairie area, about 1.7 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 New Orleans, LA?
- A typical Dental Assistant in New Orleans earns $45,920 a year, or $22.08 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $36,400 and the top 10% earn over $52,190.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in New Orleans?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in New Orleans is $22.08. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $17.50, and the top 10% earn over $25.09 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in New Orleans?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in New Orleans typically offer around $17.50 an hour, or $36,400 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in New Orleans higher than in the rest of Louisiana?
- New Orleans pay is 4% above the Louisiana figure of $44,090 a year, ranking 2nd of 10 metro areas in the state. Hammond pays the most in Louisiana at $45,950.