Oregon Dental Assistant Salary

At $38,792, the median 2014 dental assistant salary in Oregon is nearly $3,900 greater than the national median for this field. Dental assistants earning in the top ten percent made $51,106 on average, while those new to the field representing the bottom ten percent averaged $30,701.

In Oregon, dental assistant salaries can vary substantially in different regions of the state. There was a difference of $14,893 between the highest and lowest median salaries:

Regional Employment Projections for Oregon’s Dental Assistants

The number of dental assistant jobs available in Oregon is expected to increase 10.9% between 2012 and 2022 according to the Oregon Employment Department.

Featured Programs:

Penn Foster

Penn Foster's Dental Assistant career diploma program​ will teach you on-the-job skills like dental health procedures, office operations, dentistry terminology use, and more - so you can begin pursuing your career as a Dental Assistant.​

Selected Campus Locations:

• Online

Selected Programs:

• Dental Assistant Career Diploma

Arizona State University - Online

With ASU's Online Bachelor of Science in Applied Biological Sciences – Pre-Dental, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to pursue an advanced degree in dentistry or a career in a dental-related field.

Selected Campus Locations:

• Online

Selected Programs:

• Online Bachelor of Science in Applied Biological Sciences – Pre-Dental

Five of Oregon’s regions had projected growth rates that were higher than the state’s average:

• Klamath/Lake – 9%
• Gilliam/Hood River/Sherman/Wheeler/Wasco – 9%
• Clatsop/Columbia/Tillamook – 8%
• Baker/Union/Wallowa – 4%

The Multnomah/Washington region has by far the largest number of projected annual openings for dental assistants. In the ten-year period ending in 2022, 142 dental assistant jobs are expected to become available each year in this region. This represents 35.9% of all of the annual job openings expected in Oregon during this period. More than 65% of these jobs are expected to come from dental assistants who will leave the field.

The US Department of Labor provides an analysis of dental assistant salary percentiles in key regions throughout Oregon (2013):