How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Seattle, WA in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Seattle, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Washington.
BLS OES May 2025 · Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Seattle, Washington earns $29.83 per hour, or $62,040 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $5,170 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $48,900, and the top 10% of earners make over $72,060.
That pay is 7% above the Washington figure of $58,090 and 29% above the national figure of $48,070. Seattle ranks 1st of 12 metro areas in Washington for Dental Assistant pay. About 7,100 Dental Assistants work in the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area. Seattle is part of the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Bellevue and Tacoma share these figures.
Dental Assistant pay in Seattle at a glance
- Typical pay is $29.83 an hour, or $62,040 a year.
- That is 7% above the Washington figure, ranking 1st of 12 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $48,900; the top 10% make over $72,060.
- Typical pay rose +50% from 2015 to 2025, against +44% for Washington as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Seattle?
Pay in Seattle runs from entry-level positions at around $23.51 an hour to more than $34.64 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Washington and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Seattle
| Career stage | Seattle | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $48,900$23.51 an hour | $46,280$22.25 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $49,370$23.73 an hour | $48,780$23.45 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $62,040$29.83 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $63,070$30.32 an hour | $62,340$29.97 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $72,060$34.64 an hour | $68,230$32.80 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Seattle
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Seattle was $41,370 a year. By 2025 it had reached $62,040, a change of +50%, compared with +44% for Washington over the same years.
How Seattle compares with other Washington cities
Seattle pays Dental Assistants the most of any metro area in Washington. The lowest-paying area in the state is Yakima at $46,670.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Seattle | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle | $62,040 | $29.83 | this city | 7,100 |
| 2 | Hillsboro metro incl. Vancouver | $59,890 | $28.79 | -3% | 4,120 |
| 3 | Spokane Valley metro incl. Spokane | $50,980 | $24.51 | -18% | 1,000 |
| 4 | Bellingham | $49,830 | $23.96 | -20% | 410 |
| 5 | Port Orchard metro incl. Bremerton · Silverdale | $49,800 | $23.94 | -20% | 470 |
| 6 | Walla Walla | $49,790 | $23.94 | -20% | 110 |
| 7 | Kennewick metro incl. Richland | $49,540 | $23.82 | -20% | 520 |
| 8 | Anacortes metro incl. Mount Vernon | $49,530 | $23.81 | -20% | 230 |
| 9 | Lacey | $48,890 | $23.51 | -21% | 480 |
| 10 | Wenatchee metro incl. East Wenatchee | $48,300 | $23.22 | -22% | 210 |
| 11 | Kelso metro incl. Longview | $47,500 | $22.84 | -23% | 190 |
| 12 | Yakima | $46,670 | $22.44 | -25% | 480 |
Every metro area in Washington with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Washington typical pay $58,090
Is Seattle a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistants in Seattle earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $62,040 a year, 29% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Seattle · Tacoma · Bellevue area, about 3.4 are Dental Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.5. That makes the local economy more reliant on Dental Assistants than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Assistant make in Seattle, WA?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Seattle earns $62,040 a year, or $29.83 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $48,900 and the top 10% earn over $72,060.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Seattle?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Seattle is $29.83. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $23.51, and the top 10% earn over $34.64 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Seattle?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Seattle typically offer around $23.51 an hour, or $48,900 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Seattle higher than in the rest of Washington?
- Seattle pay is 7% above the Washington figure of $58,090 a year, ranking 1st of 12 metro areas in the state.