Dental Assistant Salary in Indiana (2026)

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, dental assistant wages in Indiana vary by metro area, experience, and specialization. Below you will find detailed salary data and wage percentile breakdowns.

Dental-Assistant Salary in Indiana

Median Salary $48,670 $23.40/hr
Average Salary $50,480 $24.27/hr
State National Diff
Median Wage $48,670 $48,070 +1.2%
Mean Wage $50,480 $50,200 +0.6%

Salary Range

$36,880 10th pctl
$48,670 Median
$60,590 90th pctl
10th Percentile $36,880 $17.73/hr
25th Percentile $45,860 $22.05/hr
75th Percentile $57,720 $27.75/hr
90th Percentile $60,590 $29.13/hr

Employment & Outlook

Total Employed6,690
Jobs per 1,0002.1

Dental Assistants (31-9091) • BLS OEWS, May 2025 • bls.gov/oes

Dental Assistant Wages by Metro Area in Indiana

Dental Assistants Wages by Metro Area in Indiana

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), dental assistants wages in Indiana vary by metro area.

Metro AreaEmploymentMedian Annual WageAvg. Annual WageEntry Level
(10th pctile)
Experienced
(90th pctile)
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin10,490$48,950$50,370$38,950$61,150
Cincinnati2,440$49,590$53,990$37,840$77,420
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood2,200$48,970$51,810$37,650$59,550
Louisville/Jefferson County1,500$49,100$52,000$37,900$62,760
Fort Wayne630$48,670$51,060$37,970$60,840
South Bend-Mishawaka360$47,770$49,830$36,320$62,660
Evansville300$48,000$47,870$34,350$56,810
Lafayette-West Lafayette190$48,730$47,930$36,550$57,620
Elkhart-Goshen160$52,830$54,820$37,300$72,250
Kokomo140$48,360$49,150$37,050$60,290
Muncie140$45,500$44,150$35,330$56,390
Bloomington130$48,170$49,560$36,010$60,980
Columbus120$47,260$47,740$35,760$56,850
Terre Haute110$46,450$46,150$35,140$57,650
Michigan City-La Porte80$48,920$48,930$36,350$59,300

Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .

Understanding Wage Percentiles

Wage percentiles show how dental assistant salaries are distributed across Indiana. The 10th percentile represents entry-level wages, while the 90th percentile reflects what experienced professionals earn. The median (50th percentile) is the midpoint where half of dental assistants earn more and half earn less.

These figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and reflect reported wages for Indiana. Actual earnings depend on employer, certifications, and years of experience.

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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)
O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones)U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.)O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13)