Best Dental Assistant Programs in Monterey, California (2026)

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 near Monterey, California with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Monterey sits within the California dental assistant workforce, served by accredited training providers. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $50,110 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Monterey 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
Salinas, CA metro median wage$56,790BLS 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
Monterey County establishments170BLS QCEW, 2024
Monterey County industry employment1,250BLS QCEW, 2024
Monterey County unemployment rate7.3%BLS LAUS, 2024
California location quotient1.24BLS OEWS, May 2025

Nearby Cities

Explore the Dental assistant Career

What You’ll Find Below

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


Dental Assistant Schools near Monterey

How We Rank Schools

We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%

Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Central Coast College

Salinas, CA 14.7 miles away BOC Score 56.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 74.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 15
  • Annual completions: 435
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,710 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Cabrillo College

Aptos, CA 27.6 miles away BOC Score 51.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 38.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 58
  • Annual completions: 868
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,586 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

San Jose City College

San Jose, CA 50.0 miles away BOC Score 47.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 33.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 31
  • Annual completions: 754
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,895 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Carrington College-San Jose

San Jose, CA 45.7 miles away BOC Score 46.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 57.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 10
  • Annual completions: 558
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $47,661 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Dental Assistant Pay and Job Outlook

Dental Assistants annual wage by percentile: $37,130 at the 10th percentile, $48,070 median, $62,250 at the 90th. Source: U.S. BLS OEWS, May 2025 release.
What dental assistants earn across the pay scale
Projected job growth for dental assistants: 381,900 jobs in 2024 to 406,300 in 2034, +6.4% change. Source: U.S. BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034.
Projected job growth for dental assistants
Top-paying states for dental assistants - Minnesota leads at $65,270. Source: U.S. BLS OEWS, May 2025 release.
Top-paying states for dental assistants

Next Steps

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does dental assistant training take near Monterey?

Dental assistant certificate programs near Monterey 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 near Monterey?

Monterey County reports approximately 170 dental assistant related establishments employing about 1,250 workers (BLS QCEW, 2024). Compare the schools listed above for tuition, duration, and credential alignment with the local employer base.


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)