Dental Salary Data · BLS OEWS May 2025
Dental Assistant Salary in Iowa
The median dental assistant earns $48,430 a year in Iowa, with most between $45,990 and $57,620.
25th percentile
$45,990
Entry / lower range
Median
$48,430
The typical pay
75th percentile
$57,620
Experienced / upper range
That's roughly $48,430 per year or $23.28/hr at the median. Iowa runs about 1% in line with the national median.
What drives dental assistant pay in Iowa
Pay for a dental assistantdepends on experience, setting, and metro. Group practices and dental support organizations (DSOs) often sit toward the upper end of the range, since they compete for talent across multiple locations and can offer benefits and advancement a single practice can't.
Across dentistry, hiring is hard and getting harder: staffing is consistently ranked among dentists' top challenges, and open roles routinely take well over two months to fill. For candidates, that means leverage; for employers, it means speed and fit matter more than ever.
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Dental Assistant salary in Iowa: FAQ
What is the average dental assistant salary in Iowa?
The median dental assistant salary in Iowa is about $48,430 per year ($23.28/hr), based on BLS OEWS data (May 2025). Most earn between $45,990 and $57,620.
How does Iowa compare to the national average?
At a $48,430 median, dental assistant pay in Iowa runs about 1% in line with the national median. Local cost of living and demand drive most of the difference.
Which Iowa cities pay dental assistants the most?
Among Iowa metros, Des Moines-West Des Moines is at the top, with a median around $50,020.
Hiring in Iowa?
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Other roles in Iowa
Dental Assistant salary by state