Dental assistant salary in Iowa
The median dental assistant in Iowa earns $48,430 a year (about $23.28 an hour); the mean is $50,450. That is $360 (1%) above the US median of $48,070, and ranks 21 of 50 among states with published figures. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
| Iowa | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $48,430 | $48,070 |
| Mean annual wage | $50,450 | $50,200 |
| Median hourly equivalent | $23.28 | $23.11 |
| Employed | 3,210 | 387,790 |
Dental assistants work alongside dentists: chairside help, instruments, patient comfort, and in many states radiographs and other expanded duties.
How Iowa compares with nearby ranks
States closest to Iowa in the dental assistant median ranking:
| State | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | $48,670 | $50,480 |
| Maryland | $48,620 | $50,720 |
| Illinois | $48,610 | $48,990 |
| Colorado | $48,340 | $50,230 |
| New York | $48,110 | $49,820 |
| Ohio | $47,970 | $52,370 |
See the full state ranking for dental assistants.
Other dental roles in Iowa
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Common questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Iowa?
The median annual wage for dental assistants in Iowa is $48,430 (about $23.28 an hour) and the mean is $50,450, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
How does Iowa compare with the national figure?
The Iowa median is $360 (1%) above the national median of $48,070. It ranks 21 of 50 states and districts with published figures for dental assistants.
How many dental assistants work in Iowa?
BLS estimates 3,210 employed dental assistants in Iowa in May 2025.
Do these numbers include practice owners?
No. BLS counts people on an employer's payroll. Owners who take profit from their own practice are mostly outside the survey.