Dental Assistant Salary in District of Columbia: What Dental Assistants Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$58,590
Median (50th)
$60,580
75th percentile
$74,220
National median
$48,070
BLS OEWS (SOC 31-9091), May 2025
What does a dental assistant make in District of Columbia?
The median dental assistant in District of Columbia earns $60,580 a year ($29.13 an hour), which is $12,510 above the national median of $48,070, and more than in nearby Maryland ($48,620) and Virginia ($46,670). The mean is $63,360.
That ranks 2nd of the 49 states plus DC where BLS publishes a dental assistant median.
Entry-level vs top earners in District of Columbia
The middle half of District of Columbia dental assistants earn $58,590 to $74,220. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $47,530, $10,400 above the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $74,960, $12,710 above the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in District of Columbia
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts District of Columbia's 2024 price level at 109.9 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 9.9% above the national average, and housing (index 155.0) runs 55.0% above.
Converted to national average prices, the $60,580 median is worth about $55,120 — $7,050 above the national median of $48,070.
How many dental assistants work in District of Columbia
BLS counts about 630 dental assistant jobs in District of Columbia, 0.2% of the 387,790 nationwide, or 0.897 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dental assistants hold a 64% smaller share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 0.36).
Dental Assistant Salary by City in District of Columbia
All dental roles by metro: Washington
Dental Assistant Regulatory Context in District of Columbia
Dental assistant practice in the District of Columbia is regulated by the DC Board of Dentistry.
Scope of practice — what a dental assistant may do, and under what level of supervision — is set by state law and changes over time, so verify current rules with the board before relying on them.
How District of Columbia Compares
Other dental salaries in District of Columbia
- Dental Hygienist salary in District of Columbia: median $137,220, $76,640 above the dental assistant median
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state and national estimates, all industries); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024. Price-adjusted pay divides the median by the price level. A dash means BLS did not publish that figure; nothing is estimated.