How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Staunton, VA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Staunton, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Virginia.
BLS OES May 2025 · Staunton · Stuarts Draft metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Staunton, Virginia earns $22.03 per hour, or $45,810 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,818 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $36,290, and the top 10% of earners make over $56,770.
That pay is 2% below the Virginia figure of $46,670 and 5% below the national figure of $48,070. Staunton ranks 6th of 11 metro areas in Virginia for Dental Assistant pay. About 110 Dental Assistants work in the Staunton · Stuarts Draft area. Staunton is part of the Staunton · Stuarts Draft metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Stuarts Draft share these figures.
Dental Assistant pay in Staunton at a glance
- Typical pay is $22.03 an hour, or $45,810 a year.
- That is 2% below the Virginia figure, ranking 6th of 11 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $36,290; the top 10% make over $56,770.
- Typical pay rose +24% from 2015 to 2025, against +27% for Virginia as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Staunton?
Pay in Staunton runs from entry-level positions at around $17.45 an hour to more than $27.29 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Virginia and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Staunton
| Career stage | Staunton | Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $36,290$17.45 an hour | $37,720$18.14 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $37,440$18.00 an hour | $39,160$18.83 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $45,810$22.03 an hour | $46,670$22.44 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $48,050$23.10 an hour | $53,040$25.50 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $56,770$27.29 an hour | $58,910$28.32 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Staunton · Stuarts Draft area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Staunton
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Staunton · Stuarts Draft area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Staunton was $37,070 a year. By 2025 it had reached $45,810, a change of +24%, compared with +27% for Virginia over the same years.
How Staunton compares with other Virginia cities
Richmond pays Dental Assistants the most in Virginia at $47,760 a year, $1,950 more than Staunton. The lowest-paying area in the state is Charlottesville at $45,040.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Staunton | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond | $47,760 | $22.96 | +4% | 1,610 |
| 2 | Arlington | $47,540 | $22.85 | +4% | 8,440 |
| 3 | Virginia Beach | $46,670 | $22.44 | +2% | 1,860 |
| 4 | Christiansburg metro incl. Radford · Blacksburg | $46,480 | $22.35 | +1% | 120 |
| 5 | Winchester | $46,310 | $22.27 | +1% | 180 |
| 6 | Staunton metro incl. Stuarts Draft | $45,810 | $22.03 | this city | 110 |
| 7 | Harrisonburg | $45,320 | $21.79 | -1% | 170 |
| 8 | Roanoke | $45,170 | $21.72 | -1% | 300 |
| 9 | Lynchburg | $45,110 | $21.69 | -2% | 230 |
| 10 | Bristol | $45,110 | $21.69 | -2% | 320 |
| 11 | Charlottesville | $45,040 | $21.65 | -2% | 280 |
Every metro area in Virginia with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Virginia typical pay $46,670
Is Staunton a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistants in Staunton earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $45,810 a year, 5% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Staunton · Stuarts Draft area, about 2.1 are Dental Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.6. 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 Staunton, VA?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Staunton earns $45,810 a year, or $22.03 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $36,290 and the top 10% earn over $56,770.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Staunton?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Staunton is $22.03. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $17.45, and the top 10% earn over $27.29 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Staunton?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Staunton typically offer around $17.45 an hour, or $36,290 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Staunton higher than in the rest of Virginia?
- Staunton pay is 2% below the Virginia figure of $46,670 a year, ranking 6th of 11 metro areas in the state. Richmond pays the most in Virginia at $47,760.