How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Raleigh, NC in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Raleigh, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across North Carolina.
BLS OES May 2025 · Raleigh · Cary metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Raleigh, North Carolina earns $28.25 per hour, or $58,750 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,896 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $40,410, and the top 10% of earners make over $64,390.
That pay is 17% above the North Carolina figure of $50,380 and 22% above the national figure of $48,070. Raleigh ranks 1st of 15 metro areas in North Carolina for Dental Assistant pay. About 1,850 Dental Assistants work in the Raleigh · Cary area. Raleigh is part of the Raleigh · Cary metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Cary share these figures.
Dental Assistant pay in Raleigh at a glance
- Typical pay is $28.25 an hour, or $58,750 a year.
- That is 17% above the North Carolina figure, ranking 1st of 15 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $40,410; the top 10% make over $64,390.
- Typical pay rose +41% from 2015 to 2025, against +33% for North Carolina as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Raleigh?
Pay in Raleigh runs from entry-level positions at around $19.43 an hour to more than $30.96 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 Raleigh
| Career stage | Raleigh | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $40,410$19.43 an hour | $38,240$18.38 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $50,580$24.32 an hour | $47,680$22.93 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $58,750$28.25 an hour | $50,380$24.22 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $60,680$29.17 an hour | $57,720$27.75 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $64,390$30.96 an hour | $60,200$28.94 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Raleigh · Cary area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Raleigh
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Raleigh · Cary area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Raleigh was $41,520 a year. By 2025 it had reached $58,750, a change of +41%, compared with +33% for North Carolina over the same years.
How Raleigh compares with other North Carolina cities
Raleigh pays Dental Assistants the most of any metro area in North Carolina. The lowest-paying area in the state is Norfolk at $46,670.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Raleigh | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raleigh metro incl. Cary | $58,750 | $28.25 | this city | 1,850 |
| 2 | Asheville | $56,680 | $27.25 | -4% | 560 |
| 3 | Durham metro incl. Chapel Hill | $51,670 | $24.84 | -12% | 640 |
| 4 | Wilmington | $51,110 | $24.57 | -13% | 600 |
| 5 | Burlington | $50,140 | $24.10 | -15% | 150 |
| 6 | Winston metro incl. Salem | $50,060 | $24.07 | -15% | 480 |
| 7 | Charlotte | $50,060 | $24.07 | -15% | 3,540 |
| 8 | High Point metro incl. Greensboro | $49,800 | $23.94 | -15% | 800 |
| 9 | Fayetteville | $49,520 | $23.81 | -16% | 460 |
| 10 | Greenville | $49,420 | $23.76 | -16% | 230 |
| 11 | Lenoir | $48,720 | $23.43 | -17% | 320 |
| 12 | Rocky Mount | $48,490 | $23.31 | -17% | 80 |
| 13 | Goldsboro | $48,210 | $23.18 | -18% | 120 |
| 14 | Jacksonville | $47,970 | $23.06 | -18% | 170 |
| 15 | Chesapeake metro incl. Norfolk | $46,670 | $22.44 | -21% | 1,860 |
Every metro area in North Carolina with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · North Carolina typical pay $50,380
Is Raleigh a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistants in Raleigh earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $58,750 a year, 22% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Raleigh · Cary area, about 2.5 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 Raleigh, NC?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Raleigh earns $58,750 a year, or $28.25 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $40,410 and the top 10% earn over $64,390.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Raleigh?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Raleigh is $28.25. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $19.43, and the top 10% earn over $30.96 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Raleigh?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Raleigh typically offer around $19.43 an hour, or $40,410 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Raleigh higher than in the rest of North Carolina?
- Raleigh pay is 17% above the North Carolina figure of $50,380 a year, ranking 1st of 15 metro areas in the state.