How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Houston, TX in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Houston, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Texas.
BLS OES May 2025 · Houston · Pasadena · The Woodlands metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Houston, Texas earns $21.02 per hour, or $43,730 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,644 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $30,540, and the top 10% of earners make over $55,160.
That pay is 4% below the Texas figure of $45,430 and 9% below the national figure of $48,070. Houston ranks 12th of 25 metro areas in Texas for Dental Assistant pay. About 8,150 Dental Assistants work in the Houston · Pasadena · The Woodlands area. Houston is part of the Houston · Pasadena · The Woodlands metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so The Woodlands and Pasadena share these figures.
Dental Assistant pay in Houston at a glance
- Typical pay is $21.02 an hour, or $43,730 a year.
- That is 4% below the Texas figure, ranking 12th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $30,540; the top 10% make over $55,160.
- Typical pay rose +24% from 2015 to 2025, against +32% for Texas as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Houston?
Pay in Houston runs from entry-level positions at around $14.68 an hour to more than $26.52 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Texas and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Houston
| Career stage | Houston | Texas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $30,540$14.68 an hour | $35,400$17.02 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $36,960$17.77 an hour | $37,360$17.96 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $43,730$21.02 an hour | $45,430$21.84 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $48,660$23.39 an hour | $48,280$23.21 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $55,160$26.52 an hour | $57,640$27.71 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Houston · Pasadena · The Woodlands area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Houston
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Houston · Pasadena · The Woodlands area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Houston was $35,400 a year. By 2025 it had reached $43,730, a change of +24%, compared with +32% for Texas over the same years.
How Houston compares with other Texas cities
Austin pays Dental Assistants the most in Texas at $48,500 a year, $4,770 more than Houston. The lowest-paying area in the state is Edinburg at $37,230.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Houston | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin metro incl. Round Rock · San Marcos | $48,500 | $23.32 | +11% | 3,010 |
| 2 | Dallas metro incl. Arlington · Fort Worth | $47,570 | $22.87 | +9% | 9,010 |
| 3 | Denison metro incl. Sherman | $46,040 | $22.14 | +5% | 240 |
| 4 | New Braunfels metro incl. San Antonio | $45,920 | $22.08 | +5% | 3,820 |
| 5 | Midland | $45,820 | $22.03 | +5% | 190 |
| 6 | Beaumont metro incl. Port Arthur | $44,820 | $21.55 | +2% | 350 |
| 7 | Killeen metro incl. Temple | $44,450 | $21.37 | +2% | 470 |
| 8 | Odessa | $44,300 | $21.30 | +1% | 150 |
| 9 | Amarillo | $44,010 | $21.16 | +1% | 280 |
| 10 | Waco | $43,980 | $21.14 | +1% | 250 |
| 11 | Victoria | $43,980 | $21.15 | +1% | 90 |
| 12 | Houston metro incl. The Woodlands · Pasadena | $43,730 | $21.02 | this city | 8,150 |
| 13 | Bryan metro incl. College Station | $43,630 | $20.98 | 0% | 270 |
| 14 | Longview | $43,300 | $20.82 | -1% | 280 |
| 15 | Wichita Falls | $40,280 | $19.37 | -8% | 120 |
| 16 | Lubbock | $39,900 | $19.18 | -9% | 440 |
| 17 | Abilene | $39,510 | $19.00 | -10% | 170 |
| 18 | El Paso | $39,090 | $18.79 | -11% | 840 |
| 19 | Corpus Christi | $38,730 | $18.62 | -11% | 380 |
| 20 | San Angelo | $38,710 | $18.61 | -11% | 110 |
| 21 | Tyler | $38,390 | $18.46 | -12% | 370 |
| 22 | Texarkana | $38,180 | $18.36 | -13% | 120 |
| 23 | Laredo | $37,900 | $18.22 | -13% | 190 |
| 24 | Harlingen metro incl. Brownsville | $37,560 | $18.06 | -14% | 330 |
| 25 | Mission | $37,230 | $17.90 | -15% | 670 |
Every metro area in Texas with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Texas typical pay $45,430
Is Houston a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistants in Houston earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $43,730 a year, 9% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Houston · Pasadena · The Woodlands 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 Houston, TX?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Houston earns $43,730 a year, or $21.02 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $30,540 and the top 10% earn over $55,160.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Houston?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Houston is $21.02. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $14.68, and the top 10% earn over $26.52 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Houston?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Houston typically offer around $14.68 an hour, or $30,540 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Houston higher than in the rest of Texas?
- Houston pay is 4% below the Texas figure of $45,430 a year, ranking 12th of 25 metro areas in the state. Austin pays the most in Texas at $48,500.