How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Morganton, NC in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Morganton, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across North Carolina.
BLS OES May 2025 · Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Morganton, North Carolina earns $23.43 per hour, or $48,720 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,060 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $37,830, and the top 10% of earners make over $57,610.
That pay is 3% below the North Carolina figure of $50,380 and 1% above the national figure of $48,070. Morganton ranks 11th of 15 metro areas in North Carolina for Dental Assistant pay. About 320 Dental Assistants work in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area. Morganton is part of the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Lenoir and Hickory share these figures.
Dental Assistant pay in Morganton at a glance
- Typical pay is $23.43 an hour, or $48,720 a year.
- That is 3% below the North Carolina figure, ranking 11th of 15 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $37,830; the top 10% make over $57,610.
- Typical pay rose +34% from 2015 to 2025, against +33% for North Carolina as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Morganton?
Pay in Morganton runs from entry-level positions at around $18.19 an hour to more than $27.70 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 Morganton
| Career stage | Morganton | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $37,830$18.19 an hour | $38,240$18.38 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $44,550$21.42 an hour | $47,680$22.93 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $48,720$23.43 an hour | $50,380$24.22 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $54,240$26.08 an hour | $57,720$27.75 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $57,610$27.70 an hour | $60,200$28.94 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Morganton
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Morganton was $36,490 a year. By 2025 it had reached $48,720, a change of +34%, compared with +33% for North Carolina over the same years.
How Morganton compares with other North Carolina cities
Cary pays Dental Assistants the most in North Carolina at $58,750 a year, $10,030 more than Morganton. The lowest-paying area in the state is Norfolk at $46,670.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Morganton | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cary metro incl. Raleigh | $58,750 | $28.25 | +21% | 1,850 |
| 2 | Asheville | $56,680 | $27.25 | +16% | 560 |
| 3 | Durham metro incl. Chapel Hill | $51,670 | $24.84 | +6% | 640 |
| 4 | Wilmington | $51,110 | $24.57 | +5% | 600 |
| 5 | Burlington | $50,140 | $24.10 | +3% | 150 |
| 6 | Winston metro incl. Salem | $50,060 | $24.07 | +3% | 480 |
| 7 | Charlotte | $50,060 | $24.07 | +3% | 3,540 |
| 8 | High Point metro incl. Greensboro | $49,800 | $23.94 | +2% | 800 |
| 9 | Fayetteville | $49,520 | $23.81 | +2% | 460 |
| 10 | Greenville | $49,420 | $23.76 | +1% | 230 |
| 11 | Morganton | $48,720 | $23.43 | this city | 320 |
| 12 | Rocky Mount | $48,490 | $23.31 | 0% | 80 |
| 13 | Goldsboro | $48,210 | $23.18 | -1% | 120 |
| 14 | Jacksonville | $47,970 | $23.06 | -2% | 170 |
| 15 | Chesapeake metro incl. Norfolk | $46,670 | $22.44 | -4% | 1,860 |
Every metro area in North Carolina with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · North Carolina typical pay $50,380
Is Morganton a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistant pay in Morganton sits close to the national figure: $48,720 a year, 1% above the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area, about 2.1 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 Morganton, NC?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Morganton earns $48,720 a year, or $23.43 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $37,830 and the top 10% earn over $57,610.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Morganton?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Morganton is $23.43. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $18.19, and the top 10% earn over $27.70 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Morganton?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Morganton typically offer around $18.19 an hour, or $37,830 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Morganton higher than in the rest of North Carolina?
- Morganton pay is 3% below the North Carolina figure of $50,380 a year, ranking 11th of 15 metro areas in the state. Cary pays the most in North Carolina at $58,750.