How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Rocky Mount, NC in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Rocky Mount, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across North Carolina.
BLS OES May 2025 · Rocky Mount metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Rocky Mount, North Carolina earns $23.31 per hour, or $48,490 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,041 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $34,200, and the top 10% of earners make over $54,410.
That pay is 4% below the North Carolina figure of $50,380 and 1% above the national figure of $48,070. Rocky Mount ranks 12th of 15 metro areas in North Carolina for Dental Assistant pay. About 80 Dental Assistants work in the Rocky Mount area.
Dental Assistant pay in Rocky Mount at a glance
- Typical pay is $23.31 an hour, or $48,490 a year.
- That is 4% below the North Carolina figure, ranking 12th of 15 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $34,200; the top 10% make over $54,410.
- Typical pay rose +30% from 2015 to 2025, against +33% for North Carolina as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Rocky Mount?
Pay in Rocky Mount runs from entry-level positions at around $16.44 an hour to more than $26.16 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 Rocky Mount
| Career stage | Rocky Mount | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $34,200$16.44 an hour | $38,240$18.38 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $37,020$17.80 an hour | $47,680$22.93 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $48,490$23.31 an hour | $50,380$24.22 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $50,610$24.33 an hour | $57,720$27.75 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $54,410$26.16 an hour | $60,200$28.94 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Rocky Mount area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Rocky Mount
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Rocky Mount area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Rocky Mount was $37,200 a year. By 2025 it had reached $48,490, a change of +30%, compared with +33% for North Carolina over the same years.
How Rocky Mount compares with other North Carolina cities
Cary pays Dental Assistants the most in North Carolina at $58,750 a year, $10,260 more than Rocky Mount. The lowest-paying area in the state is Norfolk at $46,670.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Rocky Mount | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cary metro incl. Raleigh | $58,750 | $28.25 | +21% | 1,850 |
| 2 | Asheville | $56,680 | $27.25 | +17% | 560 |
| 3 | Durham metro incl. Chapel Hill | $51,670 | $24.84 | +7% | 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 | +3% | 800 |
| 9 | Fayetteville | $49,520 | $23.81 | +2% | 460 |
| 10 | Greenville | $49,420 | $23.76 | +2% | 230 |
| 11 | Lenoir | $48,720 | $23.43 | 0% | 320 |
| 12 | Rocky Mount | $48,490 | $23.31 | this city | 80 |
| 13 | Goldsboro | $48,210 | $23.18 | -1% | 120 |
| 14 | Jacksonville | $47,970 | $23.06 | -1% | 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 Rocky Mount a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistant pay in Rocky Mount sits close to the national figure: $48,490 a year, 1% above the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Rocky Mount area, about 1.5 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 Rocky Mount, NC?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Rocky Mount earns $48,490 a year, or $23.31 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $34,200 and the top 10% earn over $54,410.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Rocky Mount?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Rocky Mount is $23.31. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $16.44, and the top 10% earn over $26.16 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Rocky Mount?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Rocky Mount typically offer around $16.44 an hour, or $34,200 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Rocky Mount higher than in the rest of North Carolina?
- Rocky Mount pay is 4% below the North Carolina figure of $50,380 a year, ranking 12th of 15 metro areas in the state. Cary pays the most in North Carolina at $58,750.