How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in McAllen, TX in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in McAllen, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Texas.
BLS OES May 2025 · McAllen · Edinburg · Mission metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in McAllen, Texas earns $17.90 per hour, or $37,230 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,103 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $29,960, and the top 10% of earners make over $45,490.
That pay is 18% below the Texas figure of $45,430 and 23% below the national figure of $48,070. McAllen ranks 25th of 25 metro areas in Texas for Dental Assistant pay. About 670 Dental Assistants work in the McAllen · Edinburg · Mission area. McAllen is part of the McAllen · Edinburg · Mission metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Mission and Edinburg share these figures.
Dental Assistant pay in McAllen at a glance
- Typical pay is $17.90 an hour, or $37,230 a year.
- That is 18% below the Texas figure, ranking 25th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $29,960; the top 10% make over $45,490.
- Typical pay rose +39% from 2015 to 2025, against +32% for Texas as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in McAllen?
Pay in McAllen runs from entry-level positions at around $14.40 an hour to more than $21.87 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 McAllen
| Career stage | McAllen | Texas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $29,960$14.40 an hour | $35,400$17.02 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $30,800$14.81 an hour | $37,360$17.96 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $37,230$17.90 an hour | $45,430$21.84 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $43,970$21.14 an hour | $48,280$23.21 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $45,490$21.87 an hour | $57,640$27.71 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the McAllen · Edinburg · Mission area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in McAllen
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the McAllen · Edinburg · Mission area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in McAllen was $26,750 a year. By 2025 it had reached $37,230, a change of +39%, compared with +32% for Texas over the same years.
How McAllen compares with other Texas cities
Austin pays Dental Assistants the most in Texas at $48,500 a year, $11,270 more than McAllen. The lowest-paying area in the state is Edinburg at $37,230.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs McAllen | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin metro incl. Round Rock · San Marcos | $48,500 | $23.32 | +30% | 3,010 |
| 2 | Dallas metro incl. Arlington · Fort Worth | $47,570 | $22.87 | +28% | 9,010 |
| 3 | Denison metro incl. Sherman | $46,040 | $22.14 | +24% | 240 |
| 4 | New Braunfels metro incl. San Antonio | $45,920 | $22.08 | +23% | 3,820 |
| 5 | Midland | $45,820 | $22.03 | +23% | 190 |
| 6 | Beaumont metro incl. Port Arthur | $44,820 | $21.55 | +20% | 350 |
| 7 | Killeen metro incl. Temple | $44,450 | $21.37 | +19% | 470 |
| 8 | Odessa | $44,300 | $21.30 | +19% | 150 |
| 9 | Amarillo | $44,010 | $21.16 | +18% | 280 |
| 10 | Waco | $43,980 | $21.14 | +18% | 250 |
| 11 | Victoria | $43,980 | $21.15 | +18% | 90 |
| 12 | The Woodlands | $43,730 | $21.02 | +17% | 8,150 |
| 13 | Bryan metro incl. College Station | $43,630 | $20.98 | +17% | 270 |
| 14 | Longview | $43,300 | $20.82 | +16% | 280 |
| 15 | Wichita Falls | $40,280 | $19.37 | +8% | 120 |
| 16 | Lubbock | $39,900 | $19.18 | +7% | 440 |
| 17 | Abilene | $39,510 | $19.00 | +6% | 170 |
| 18 | El Paso | $39,090 | $18.79 | +5% | 840 |
| 19 | Corpus Christi | $38,730 | $18.62 | +4% | 380 |
| 20 | San Angelo | $38,710 | $18.61 | +4% | 110 |
| 21 | Tyler | $38,390 | $18.46 | +3% | 370 |
| 22 | Texarkana | $38,180 | $18.36 | +3% | 120 |
| 23 | Laredo | $37,900 | $18.22 | +2% | 190 |
| 24 | Harlingen metro incl. Brownsville | $37,560 | $18.06 | +1% | 330 |
| 25 | McAllen | $37,230 | $17.90 | this city | 670 |
Every metro area in Texas with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Texas typical pay $45,430
Is McAllen a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistants in McAllen earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $37,230 a year, 23% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the McAllen · Edinburg · Mission area, about 2.3 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 McAllen, TX?
- A typical Dental Assistant in McAllen earns $37,230 a year, or $17.90 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $29,960 and the top 10% earn over $45,490.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in McAllen?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in McAllen is $17.90. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $14.40, and the top 10% earn over $21.87 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in McAllen?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in McAllen typically offer around $14.40 an hour, or $29,960 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in McAllen higher than in the rest of Texas?
- McAllen pay is 18% below the Texas figure of $45,430 a year, ranking 25th of 25 metro areas in the state. Austin pays the most in Texas at $48,500.