A dental assistant salary on the average is higher than I thought!
A dental assistant salary can start in the region of $22,270 and rise to an attractive $46,150 dependent on location, but $32,380 is the median. Obviously, without experience in this field I can expect to earn a lower than average dental assistant salary in the interim, but this will rapidly rise with substantial experience and training.
Salary.com
Salary.com provides employers and people with the tools to accomplish impressive results in the workplace. They offer a Salary Wizard tool, which reviews the base salaries of dental assistant jobs in Houston Texas whilst also listing the benefits and bonuses of the dental assistant role in this area. I discovered that the average dental assistant salary in Houston Texas was $32,841 per annum. When I clicked on the job details for a dental assistant, it supplied me with a brief description and states the job statistics including years of experience and education level. The impressive method offered through Salary.com allowed me to analyze and benchmark the dental assistant salary and other job salaries. This supports the professional industry standards of each sector, whilst they offer a personal salary report for $10 online.
Payscale.com
Another way to discover information about the dental assistant salary is through Payscale.com. They provided me with a free salary and benefits report based on education, skills, experience, and location. This provided me with confidence and told me what dental assistant salary I could expect to earn in the this field. For an additional $20.00, Payscale.com offer a premium service allowing me to discover more information about the dental assistant salary based on education and experience in my specified area.
The Role of The Dental Assistant
As the dentistry field is lucrative, so too is the role of the dental assistant. After researching more about this field, I discovered I could train to become a dental assistant in just ten weekends through Dr C Mark Mann’s School of Dental Assisting. The role of the dental assistant is in high demand. This school is based in Houston Texas, but I was taught every important aspect of the dental assistant role. For much of the time I was there, I was trained in a classroom environment, and the other half of each weekly session incorporated hands on training. Coaching, evaluation, and instructor demonstrations brought a fun element to the training.
Dental Assistant Facts
The dental assistant field is set to grow by 29 percent from 2006 to 2016, which is faster than average amongst most occupations. The awareness in the field of dental health has grown substantially, which has also increased the need for dental assistants, while the US Department of Labor claims there to be excellent job prospects for dental assistants.
Is The Role of a Dental Assistant Right for Me?
The role of a health care professional, including a dental assistant, provided me with the opportunity to enhance the well being of my patients whilst gaining job satisfaction. I love helping people and wanted a career that would challenge me on a daily basis. Supporting a patient’s oral health and knowing that they feel more confident about their mouth and smile is an advantage in this rewarding career. The dental assistant salary is great and there is job security, especially since this sector is set to rise significantly over the coming years.
Factors affecting the salary of Dental Assistants
A dental assistant salary can vary depending on four main factors, which are:
- Experience: Similar to any profession, the dental assistant salary I can expect to earn also varies dependent on my experience in this field. Dental assistants who have years of experience will receive a higher hourly rate than a novice, who earn around $11.00 per hour, whilst more experienced dental assistants can easily earn $20.00 per hour.
- Location: In some areas, the cost of living is higher, which improves the overall dental assistant salary draw. The yearly wage for a dental assistant in New York is approximately $38.326, whilst Tulsa offers an average yearly salary of just $31,452. The dental assistant salary in Texas is especially attractive. By 2018, the average salary of a dental assistant is set to rise by an impressive 36 percent. Texas is a huge state and many dental assistant roles fall in medical centers and hospitals.
- Education: This is very important in the field of dentistry, since without training, there is no guarantee I can land a role in the field of dental assisting. At Dr C Mark Mann’s School of Dental Assisting, I was able to learn more by watching what is included in the day to day running of a practice. Some employers wanted to know where I had trained, which is especially useful if the school is renowned like Dr C Mark Mann’s Schools of Dental Assisting. In addition, if the school offers a certified training program, such as Mann Dental Assisting, it could also promote a higher salary.
- Registration: After completing my training at Dr C Mark Mann’s School of Dental Assisting, I had to complete an examination by the State Board of Dental Examiners. Passing the exam bestows a license to be a registered dental assistant in Texas with all its rights and privileges.
Dental Assistant Jobs
The role of the dental assistant is widely available in various sectors, not only through the private sector and across the United States.
- Insurance Industry: Dental assistants are frequently required by insurance carriers to assist in the running of their organization. In this sector, it is useful to know more about the role of business and administration including my understanding of dentistry, claim processing, and client services.
- Private Practice: The field of private dentistry is huge, and a dental assistant job in this private sector will offer attractive benefits for the employee. The larger the practice, the further the opportunity to gain expert skills in other areas, and there may even be the prospect of advancement in the future.
- Management Consulting: Dental assistants are hired with clinical and supervisory backgrounds. This can work in the favor of the consultant or provide dental assistants with the confidence to begin a consulting firm.
- Teaching: Ideal for the ambitious dental assistant, as the role of the educator can be worthwhile and challenging within a school providing dental assistant training. Each school has specific requirements necessary for eligibility, and some may or may not require University studies, with registration, certification, or a bachelor’s degree sufficient for the role of a dental assistant.
- Public Health and Government Programs: Operating at local, national, and state levels, dental assistants are employed through agencies where dentistry is supplied freely or for a minimum charge to patients who are eligible for treatment. The role will include working with social workers, physicians, nurses, and nutritionists. Dental assistants in this field will also be required to gather information and figures on public health services including the incidences of AIDS, fluoridation, and caring for specific population communities and older adults.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics confirmed that in 2008 alone there were over 294,000 dental assistant roles with the number rising significantly. Entry-level dental assistant roles are available, although professional dentists prefer to hire experienced professionals who meet the state requirement.
How To Choose An Effective Dental Training School
I chose to pursue my training with Dr C Mark Mann School of Dental Assisting, which offered an intensive training course over ten weekends. I gained important hands-on information in a professional dental environment and gained working knowledge in:
- Understanding and identifying dental instruments
- Techniques on sterilizing instruments
- Administration duties and patient record keeping
- Preparing and arranging x-rays
- Arranging dental impressions for treatment procedures.
In Texas, look for a school that has been approved and certified by the Texas Workforce Commission, Career Schools and Colleges. A school that offers positive testimonials from students, like Mann Dental Assisting is a good choice.
C. Mark Mann School of Dental Assisting provided useful advice and tips on dental assistant salary, job search and employment topics and detailed how I could register as a dental assistant.
Training for my dental assistant role through the Dr C Mark Mann’s School of Dental Assisting provided me with the opportunity to earn a fantastic dental assistant salary and there is no shortage of job opportunities in a wide number of sectors.
The field of dental assisting is huge, but trained dental assistants are especially in demand and a dental assistant salary is hard to beat!