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 Walnut Creek, California with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.
Choosing a dental assistant program near Walnut Creek, California comes down to accreditation, schedule, and how each school prepares you for the field. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $50,110 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Walnut Creek. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the Contra Costa County and California figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.
Dental Assistant Schools near Walnut Creek
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.
LOCAL RANK
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
Contra Costa Medical Career College
📍
Antioch, CA
•14.0 miles away•BOC Score
81.1
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
4041 Lone Tree Way Suite 101 Antioch, CA 94581-6208
How long does dental assistant training take near Walnut Creek?
Dental assistant certificate programs near Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek?
Contra Costa County reports approximately 710 dental assistant related establishments employing about 4,250 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.
Data
Provider
Vintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
