SalaryExplorer

SOC 31-9091 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Dental Assistants — Montgomery

Montgomery, AL · 10 metro areas compared

$38,260 /year
$18.39per hour
280jobs in area
−20.4%vs US median

The median wage for Dental Assistants in Montgomery, AL is $38,260 per year, 20.4% below the national median of $48,070.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $48,07010TH$30,61025TH$36,060MEDIAN$38,26090TH$48,050

How pay has moved

$39,678$31,1732019202020212022202320242025$38,260
$33,290 in 2019 to $38,260 in 2025, +14.9% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow faster than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+6.4%
Openings per year
52,900
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Montgomery, AL.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

The median wage for Dental Assistants in Montgomery, AL is $38,260 per year, 20.4% below the national median of $48,070. Pay ranges from under $30,610 at the tenth percentile to more than $48,050 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $36,060 to $47,260.

The area has 280 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 1.7 of every thousand jobs. Huntsville leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $43,930. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 282nd of 373 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Montgomery, AL · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$30,610−36.3%
25th$36,060−25.0%
Median (50th)$38,260−20.4%
75th$47,260−1.7%
90th$48,050−0.0%
Mean$41,150−14.4%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Alabama

Median annual wage for Dental Assistants, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Huntsville$43,930390
2Birmingham$42,0501,120
3Decatur$40,44090
4Mobile$38,800310
5Auburn$38,550130
6Daphne$38,220260
7Tuscaloosa$38,050200
8Florence$37,170120
9Anniston$37,06080
10Dothan$36,820140

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Montgomery run 10.3% below the national average, so the median of $38,260 goes as far as $42,653 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 11.3% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$38,260as reported by BLS

Local price level

89.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$42,653US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $38,260 a year, 20.4% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $30,610 to $48,050 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 280 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Huntsville, at $43,930.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Dental Assistants in Montgomery, AL?

The median annual wage is $38,260, or $18.39 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $48,070, so pay in Montgomery, AL is 20.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Montgomery, AL earns more than $48,050 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $30,610 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Huntsville, at $43,930 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 280 jobs in this occupation in Montgomery, AL. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Dental Assistants Salary in Montgomery, AL (2025): $38,260 Median | Salary Explorer