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.
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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):