Dental Assistant Salary in Iowa: What Dental Assistants Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$45,990
Median (50th)
$48,430
75th percentile
$57,620
National median
$48,070
BLS OEWS (SOC 31-9091), May 2025
What does a dental assistant make in Iowa?
The median dental assistant in Iowa earns $48,430 a year ($23.28 an hour), which is $360 above the national median of $48,070, and more than in nearby South Dakota ($47,900) but less than in Minnesota ($65,270) and Illinois ($48,610). The mean is $50,450.
That ranks 21st of the 49 states plus DC where BLS publishes a dental assistant median.
Entry-level vs top earners in Iowa
The middle half of Iowa dental assistants earn $45,990 to $57,620. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $39,360, $2,230 above the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $59,580, $2,670 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in Iowa
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Iowa's 2024 price level at 87.8 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 12.2% below the national average, and housing (index 65.3) runs 34.7% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $48,430 median is worth about $55,180 — $7,110 above the national median of $48,070.
How many dental assistants work in Iowa
BLS counts about 3,210 dental assistant jobs in Iowa, 0.8% of the 387,790 nationwide, or 2.058 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dental assistants hold a 17% smaller share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 0.83).
Dental Assistant Salary by City in Iowa
Across the 8 Iowa metro areas where BLS publishes a dental assistant median, pay runs from $47,410 in Davenport to $50,020 in Des Moines, a spread of $2,610.
All dental roles by metro: Ames · Cedar Rapids · Davenport · Des Moines · Iowa City · Sioux City
Who's hiring dental assistants in Iowa now
DentistryHires has 20 open dental assistant listings in Iowa from 14 employers, led by Ankeny, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines (2 each).
10 post hourly pay, from $18 to $32 an hour. These are employers' posted ranges, not survey figures.
Dental Assistant Regulatory Context in Iowa
Dental assistant practice in Iowa is regulated by the Iowa Dental Board.
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 Iowa Compares
Minnesota
$65,270
+36% vs. national
Minnesota salary →
Illinois
$48,610
+1% vs. national
Illinois salary →
South Dakota
$47,900
0% vs. national
South Dakota salary →
Wisconsin
$47,520
-1% vs. national
Wisconsin salary →
Nebraska
$46,660
-3% vs. national
Nebraska salary →
Missouri
$45,970
-4% vs. national
Missouri salary →
Other dental salaries in Iowa
- Dentist salary in Iowa: median $181,520, $133,090 above the dental assistant median
- Dental Hygienist salary in Iowa: median $84,010, $35,580 above the dental assistant median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in Iowa: median $47,520, $910 below 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. Listing counts and posted pay are live DentistryHires listings, refreshed hourly. A dash means BLS did not publish that figure; nothing is estimated.