Dental Assistant Salary in Tennessee: What Dental Assistants Earn in 2026
Posted pay in Tennessee dental assistant listings
$22/hrmedian
The middle half of posted pay runs $21–$24.50/hr, from 28 distinct pay ranges at 22 employers (Pacific Dental Services, Chord Specialty Dental Partners, Western Dental / Sonrava Health).
From DentistryHires' live job listings as of November 13, 2026. See the listings
25th percentile
$44,440
Median (50th)
$46,720
75th percentile
$59,270
National median
$48,070
BLS OEWS (SOC 31-9091), May 2025
What does a dental assistant make in Tennessee?
The median dental assistant in Tennessee earns $46,720 a year ($22.46 an hour), which is $1,350 below the national median of $48,070, but less than in nearby North Carolina ($50,380), Kentucky ($47,730) and Georgia ($46,840).
The mean is $49,670.
That ranks 34th of the 49 states plus DC where BLS publishes a dental assistant median.
Entry-level vs top earners in Tennessee
The middle half of Tennessee dental assistants earn $44,440 to $59,270.
The lowest-paid tenth earn under $37,810, $680 above the national 10th percentile.
The top tenth earn over $61,260, $990 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in Tennessee
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Tennessee's 2024 price level at 91.9 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 8.1% below the national average, and housing (index 79.1) runs 20.9% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $46,720 median is worth about $50,850 — $2,780 above the national median of $48,070.
How many dental assistants work in Tennessee
BLS counts about 7,420 dental assistant jobs in Tennessee, 1.9% of the 387,790 nationwide, or 2.263 per 1,000 jobs in the state.
Dental assistants hold a 9% smaller share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 0.91).
Dental Assistant Salary by City in Tennessee
Across the 10 Tennessee metro areas where BLS publishes a dental assistant median, pay runs from $45,110 in Kingsport to $48,540 in Nashville, a spread of $3,430.
All dental roles by metro: Chattanooga · Johnson City · Kingsport · Knoxville · Memphis · Nashville
What Dental Assistant Job Listings in Tennessee Show Right Now
From the 87 active dental assistant listings on DentistryHires as of November 13, 2026.
Employers with the most openings
- Heartland Dental17
- Pacific Dental Services17
- Smile Brands8
- Chord Specialty Dental Partners3
- Elite Dental Care3
- CHRIST COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES2
Pay employers post
- Median $24 an hour; the middle half of posted pay runs $21–$24 (42 listings that state an hourly rate)
- 51% of dental assistant listings in Tennessee state any pay at all.
Benefits listings name
- Paid time offnamed in 84%
- Health insurancenamed in 76%
- 401(k) plannamed in 56%
- Dental or vision coveragenamed in 52%
- Paid or provided CEnamed in 30%
- Employee discounts or free dental carenamed in 25%
- Advancement opportunitiesnamed in 16%
- Training providednamed in 14%
Source: active dental assistant listings on DentistryHires, updated daily. Pay figures use only listings that state pay (midpoint of each posted range) and are hidden when one employer posted most of them. Benefits count listings that name the benefit; a listing that doesn’t mention one may still offer it.
Browse 87 jobs →Dental Assistant Regulatory Context in Tennessee
Dental assistant practice in Tennessee is regulated by the Tennessee 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 Tennessee Compares
North Carolina
$50,380
+5% vs. national
North Carolina salary →
Kentucky
$47,730
-1% vs. national
Kentucky salary →
Georgia
$46,840
-3% vs. national
Georgia salary →
Virginia
$46,670
-3% vs. national
Virginia salary →
Missouri
$45,970
-4% vs. national
Missouri salary →
Arkansas
$42,830
-11% vs. national
Arkansas salary →
Mississippi
$39,160
-19% vs. national
Mississippi salary →
Alabama
$39,080
-19% vs. national
Alabama salary →
Other dental salaries in Tennessee
- Dentist salary in Tennessee: median $215,290, $168,570 above the dental assistant median
- Dental Hygienist salary in Tennessee: median $84,640, $37,920 above the dental assistant median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in Tennessee: median $48,880, $2,160 above the dental assistant median
- Orthodontist salary in Tennessee: median $339,610
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.