Dental Assistants pay in North Carolina

$51,510avg. a year
$24.76 an hour · 11,450 employed

Dental Assistants in North Carolina earn an average of $51,510 a year. That is $1,310 (3%) more than the U.S. average of $50,200. The best-paying metro area is Raleigh-Cary, NC at $55,950.

$50,380Median pay
$24.76Average hourly
+16%Avg. pay since 2020
#16Of 49 states + D.C.

Top-paying North Carolina metro areas

Average pay for dental assistants by metro area. Swipe to see all 15.

11,850 jobs
Raleigh-Cary, NC
$55,950
$26.90 an hour
2560 jobs
Asheville, NC
$53,650
$25.80 an hour
3640 jobs
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
$53,360
$25.65 an hour
43,540 jobs
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
$51,800
$24.90 an hour
5480 jobs
Winston-Salem, NC
$51,570
$24.79 an hour
6600 jobs
Wilmington, NC
$51,110
$24.57 an hour
7150 jobs
Burlington, NC
$50,440
$24.25 an hour
8800 jobs
Greensboro-High Point, NC
$49,870
$23.97 an hour
9460 jobs
Fayetteville, NC
$49,060
$23.59 an hour
10320 jobs
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
$48,370
$23.25 an hour
11230 jobs
Greenville, NC
$48,190
$23.17 an hour
12120 jobs
Goldsboro, NC
$47,930
$23.04 an hour
131,860 jobs
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
$47,100
$22.65 an hour
14170 jobs
Jacksonville, NC
$47,020
$22.61 an hour
1580 jobs
Rocky Mount, NC
$45,560
$21.90 an hour

Why people trust JobPayFacts

Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
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Dental Assistants pay in North Carolina, charted

Pay over time

North Carolina, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian

Where North Carolina dental assistants work

Employment by metro area, May 2025

Average pay by state

May 2025 · North Carolina highlighted · tap a state
Under $46k$46k–$50k$50k–$53k$53k+North Carolina

North Carolina vs. neighbors

Average pay, May 2025
AreaAvg. payHourly
United States$50,200$24.13
North Carolina$51,510$24.76
Tennessee$49,670$23.88
Virginia$47,490$22.83
South Carolina$47,310$22.74
Georgia$46,870$22.53

Average pay, North Carolina, May 2025

Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS

Questions and answers

How much do dental assistants make in North Carolina?

The average is $51,510 a year, and the median is $50,380. That is $1,310 (3%) more than the U.S. average of $50,200.

What is the hourly wage in North Carolina?

$24.76 an hour on average; the median is $24.22.

Where in North Carolina do they earn the most?

Raleigh-Cary, NC ($55,950), followed by Asheville, NC ($53,650). The lowest average among 15 metro areas with data is Rocky Mount, NC ($45,560).

How does North Carolina rank?

North Carolina ranks #16 of 50 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.

Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 31-9091. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national dental assistants page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.