Best Dental Assistant Programs in California (2026)

Updated June 20, 2026 | TradeCareerPath Editorial Team

Quick answer: Dental assistants in California earn a median of $50,110 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited dental assistant schools in California with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Dental assistant training in California prepares students for entry-level work across the wider California labor market. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $50,110 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

California Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$50,110BLS OEWS, May 2025
California pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$38,790 to $73,700BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying California metro for this fieldSan Jose, CA, $74,600BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+6.4% growth, about 52,900 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment56,220 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
California location quotient1.24BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Dental assistant Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the California figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 12 schools within 94 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 12 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#2

Allan Hancock College

Santa Maria, CA 61.2 miles away BOC Score 55.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 26.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 53
  • Annual completions: 2518
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,202 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Oxnard College

Oxnard, CA 90.1 miles away BOC Score 54.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 33.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 29
  • Annual completions: 965
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $49,137 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Taft College

Taft, CA 20.0 miles away BOC Score 46.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 28.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 13
  • Annual completions: 172
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,555 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Career Care Institute

Lancaster, CA 93.2 miles away BOC Score 45.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 71.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 537
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,045 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia

Visalia, CA 62.7 miles away BOC Score 45.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 35.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 25
  • Annual completions: 1915
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,211 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Reedley College

Reedley, CA 81.3 miles away BOC Score 41.6
Tuition $1,334 - $16,881
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 42.2%
  • Programs offered: 42
  • Annual completions: 881
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,644 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Fresno City College

Fresno, CA 93.5 miles away BOC Score 41.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 23.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 71
  • Annual completions: 2221
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,885 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 26.5 miles away BOC Score 39.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 52.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 23
  • Annual completions: 769
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,211 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

High Desert Medical College

Lancaster, CA 93.9 miles away BOC Score 38.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 67.0%
  • Programs offered: 15
  • Annual completions: 1467
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $35,943 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

Milan Institute-Visalia

Visalia, CA 59.1 miles away BOC Score 35.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 49.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 10
  • Annual completions: 783
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $33,999 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

UEI College-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 26.8 miles away BOC Score 31.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 65.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 16
  • Annual completions: 2177
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $29,409 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Dental Assistant Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Dental Assistants
Dental Assistants annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $37130, P25 $44340, P50 $48070, P75 $58090, P90 $62250.10th$37,13025th$44,34050th (median)$48,07075th$58,09090th$62,250
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Dental Assistants annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$37,130
25th$44,340
50th (median)$48,070
75th$58,090
90th$62,250
Projected employment growth, United States, Dental Assistants, 2024-2034
Dental Assistants employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 381900; 2034 projected employment 406300; percent change +6.4%.2024381,900 jobs2034 (proj.)406,300 jobsChange: +6.4%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Dental Assistants employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
2024381,900
2034 projected406,300
Percent change+6.4%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does dental assistant training take in California?

Dental assistant certificate programs in California typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do dental assistants earn in California?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), dental assistants in California earned a median annual wage of approximately $50,110. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $38,790 to $73,700 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many dental assistant schools are in California?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.

About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)