How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Rochester, NY in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Rochester, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across New York.
BLS OES May 2025 · Rochester metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Rochester, New York earns $23.45 per hour, or $48,780 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,065 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $39,170, and the top 10% of earners make over $59,870.
That pay is 1% above the New York figure of $48,110 and 1% above the national figure of $48,070. Rochester ranks 3rd of 13 metro areas in New York for Dental Assistant pay. About 1,020 Dental Assistants work in the Rochester area.
Dental Assistant pay in Rochester at a glance
- Typical pay is $23.45 an hour, or $48,780 a year.
- That is 1% above the New York figure, ranking 3rd of 13 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $39,170; the top 10% make over $59,870.
- Typical pay rose +40% from 2015 to 2025, against +37% for New York as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Rochester?
Pay in Rochester runs from entry-level positions at around $18.83 an hour to more than $28.79 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the New York and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Rochester
| Career stage | Rochester | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $39,170$18.83 an hour | $36,410$17.50 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $46,130$22.18 an hour | $44,730$21.51 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $48,780$23.45 an hour | $48,110$23.13 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $55,970$26.91 an hour | $58,630$28.19 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $59,870$28.79 an hour | $60,490$29.08 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Rochester area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Rochester
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Rochester area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Rochester was $34,950 a year. By 2025 it had reached $48,780, a change of +40%, compared with +37% for New York over the same years.
How Rochester compares with other New York cities
Elmira pays Dental Assistants the most in New York at $49,450 a year, $670 more than Rochester. The lowest-paying area in the state is Fort Drum at $43,010.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Rochester | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elmira | $49,450 | $23.78 | +1% | 40 |
| 2 | Poughkeepsie metro incl. Kiryas Joel · Newburgh | $49,120 | $23.62 | +1% | 620 |
| 3 | Rochester | $48,780 | $23.45 | this city | 1,020 |
| 4 | New York | $48,430 | $23.29 | -1% | 20,870 |
| 5 | Albany metro incl. Schenectady · Troy | $48,220 | $23.18 | -1% | 970 |
| 6 | Ithaca | $48,170 | $23.16 | -1% | 100 |
| 7 | Kingston | $47,940 | $23.05 | -2% | 130 |
| 8 | Cheektowaga metro incl. Buffalo | $47,610 | $22.89 | -2% | 1,230 |
| 9 | Syracuse | $47,370 | $22.77 | -3% | 690 |
| 10 | Glens Falls | $47,070 | $22.63 | -4% | 110 |
| 11 | Utica metro incl. Rome | $46,560 | $22.38 | -5% | 250 |
| 12 | Binghamton | $44,840 | $21.56 | -8% | 270 |
| 13 | Watertown metro incl. Fort Drum | $43,010 | $20.68 | -12% | 110 |
Every metro area in New York with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · New York typical pay $48,110
Is Rochester a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistant pay in Rochester sits close to the national figure: $48,780 a year, 1% above the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Rochester 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 Rochester, NY?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Rochester earns $48,780 a year, or $23.45 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $39,170 and the top 10% earn over $59,870.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Rochester?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Rochester is $23.45. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $18.83, and the top 10% earn over $28.79 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Rochester?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Rochester typically offer around $18.83 an hour, or $39,170 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Rochester higher than in the rest of New York?
- Rochester pay is 1% above the New York figure of $48,110 a year, ranking 3rd of 13 metro areas in the state. Elmira pays the most in New York at $49,450.