How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Asheville, NC in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Asheville, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across North Carolina.
BLS OES May 2025 · Asheville metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Asheville, North Carolina earns $27.25 per hour, or $56,680 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,723 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $38,230, and the top 10% of earners make over $60,200.
That pay is 13% above the North Carolina figure of $50,380 and 18% above the national figure of $48,070. Asheville ranks 2nd of 15 metro areas in North Carolina for Dental Assistant pay. About 560 Dental Assistants work in the Asheville area.
Dental Assistant pay in Asheville at a glance
- Typical pay is $27.25 an hour, or $56,680 a year.
- That is 13% above the North Carolina figure, ranking 2nd of 15 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $38,230; the top 10% make over $60,200.
- Typical pay rose +48% from 2015 to 2025, against +33% for North Carolina as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Asheville?
Pay in Asheville runs from entry-level positions at around $18.38 an hour to more than $28.94 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the North Carolina and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Asheville
| Career stage | Asheville | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $38,230$18.38 an hour | $38,240$18.38 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $48,630$23.38 an hour | $47,680$22.93 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $56,680$27.25 an hour | $50,380$24.22 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $59,850$28.77 an hour | $57,720$27.75 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $60,200$28.94 an hour | $60,200$28.94 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Asheville area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Asheville
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Asheville area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Asheville was $38,270 a year. By 2025 it had reached $56,680, a change of +48%, compared with +33% for North Carolina over the same years.
How Asheville compares with other North Carolina cities
Cary pays Dental Assistants the most in North Carolina at $58,750 a year, $2,070 more than Asheville. The lowest-paying area in the state is Norfolk at $46,670.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Asheville | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cary metro incl. Raleigh | $58,750 | $28.25 | +4% | 1,850 |
| 2 | Asheville | $56,680 | $27.25 | this city | 560 |
| 3 | Durham metro incl. Chapel Hill | $51,670 | $24.84 | -9% | 640 |
| 4 | Wilmington | $51,110 | $24.57 | -10% | 600 |
| 5 | Burlington | $50,140 | $24.10 | -12% | 150 |
| 6 | Winston metro incl. Salem | $50,060 | $24.07 | -12% | 480 |
| 7 | Charlotte | $50,060 | $24.07 | -12% | 3,540 |
| 8 | High Point metro incl. Greensboro | $49,800 | $23.94 | -12% | 800 |
| 9 | Fayetteville | $49,520 | $23.81 | -13% | 460 |
| 10 | Greenville | $49,420 | $23.76 | -13% | 230 |
| 11 | Lenoir | $48,720 | $23.43 | -14% | 320 |
| 12 | Rocky Mount | $48,490 | $23.31 | -14% | 80 |
| 13 | Goldsboro | $48,210 | $23.18 | -15% | 120 |
| 14 | Jacksonville | $47,970 | $23.06 | -15% | 170 |
| 15 | Chesapeake metro incl. Norfolk | $46,670 | $22.44 | -18% | 1,860 |
Every metro area in North Carolina with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · North Carolina typical pay $50,380
Is Asheville a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistants in Asheville earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $56,680 a year, 18% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Asheville area, about 3.1 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 Asheville, NC?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Asheville earns $56,680 a year, or $27.25 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $38,230 and the top 10% earn over $60,200.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Asheville?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Asheville is $27.25. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $18.38, and the top 10% earn over $28.94 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Asheville?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Asheville typically offer around $18.38 an hour, or $38,230 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Asheville higher than in the rest of North Carolina?
- Asheville pay is 13% above the North Carolina figure of $50,380 a year, ranking 2nd of 15 metro areas in the state. Cary pays the most in North Carolina at $58,750.