How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in La Crosse, WI in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in La Crosse, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Wisconsin.
BLS OES May 2025 · La Crosse · Onalaska metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in La Crosse, Wisconsin earns $22.68 per hour, or $47,180 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,932 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $40,700, and the top 10% of earners make over $58,390.
That pay is 1% below the Wisconsin figure of $47,520 and 2% below the national figure of $48,070. La Crosse ranks 9th of 14 metro areas in Wisconsin for Dental Assistant pay. About 230 Dental Assistants work in the La Crosse · Onalaska area. La Crosse is part of the La Crosse · Onalaska metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Onalaska share these figures.
Dental Assistant pay in La Crosse at a glance
- Typical pay is $22.68 an hour, or $47,180 a year.
- That is 1% below the Wisconsin figure, ranking 9th of 14 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $40,700; the top 10% make over $58,390.
- Typical pay rose +29% from 2015 to 2025, against +30% for Wisconsin as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in La Crosse?
Pay in La Crosse runs from entry-level positions at around $19.57 an hour to more than $28.07 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Wisconsin and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in La Crosse
| Career stage | La Crosse | Wisconsin | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $40,700$19.57 an hour | $39,500$18.99 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $45,360$21.81 an hour | $45,560$21.91 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $47,180$22.68 an hour | $47,520$22.85 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $55,630$26.75 an hour | $55,630$26.75 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $58,390$28.07 an hour | $58,840$28.29 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the La Crosse · Onalaska area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in La Crosse
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the La Crosse · Onalaska area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in La Crosse was $36,600 a year. By 2025 it had reached $47,180, a change of +29%, compared with +30% for Wisconsin over the same years.
How La Crosse compares with other Wisconsin cities
Bloomington pays Dental Assistants the most in Wisconsin at $72,370 a year, $25,190 more than La Crosse. The lowest-paying area in the state is Racine at $45,190.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs La Crosse | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bloomington metro incl. St. Paul | $72,370 | $34.79 | +53% | 3,910 |
| 2 | Madison | $49,930 | $24.01 | +6% | 920 |
| 3 | Fond du Lac | $49,470 | $23.79 | +5% | 130 |
| 4 | Green Bay | $48,700 | $23.41 | +3% | 410 |
| 5 | Sheboygan | $47,760 | $22.96 | +1% | 160 |
| 6 | Beloit metro incl. Janesville | $47,750 | $22.96 | +1% | 170 |
| 7 | Kenosha | $47,310 | $22.75 | 0% | 180 |
| 8 | Appleton | $47,240 | $22.71 | 0% | 370 |
| 9 | La Crosse metro incl. Onalaska | $47,180 | $22.68 | this city | 230 |
| 10 | Waukesha metro incl. Milwaukee | $47,140 | $22.66 | 0% | 2,400 |
| 11 | Eau Claire | $46,850 | $22.53 | -1% | 330 |
| 12 | Wausau | $46,740 | $22.47 | -1% | 230 |
| 13 | Neenah metro incl. Oshkosh | $46,440 | $22.33 | -2% | 200 |
| 14 | Mount Pleasant metro incl. Racine | $45,190 | $21.73 | -4% | 310 |
Every metro area in Wisconsin with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Wisconsin typical pay $47,520
Is La Crosse a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistant pay in La Crosse sits close to the national figure: $47,180 a year, 2% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the La Crosse · Onalaska area, about 2.7 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 La Crosse, WI?
- A typical Dental Assistant in La Crosse earns $47,180 a year, or $22.68 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $40,700 and the top 10% earn over $58,390.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in La Crosse?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in La Crosse is $22.68. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $19.57, and the top 10% earn over $28.07 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in La Crosse?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in La Crosse typically offer around $19.57 an hour, or $40,700 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in La Crosse higher than in the rest of Wisconsin?
- La Crosse pay is 1% below the Wisconsin figure of $47,520 a year, ranking 9th of 14 metro areas in the state. Bloomington pays the most in Wisconsin at $72,370.