Dental Salary Data · BLS OEWS May 2025
Dental Assistant Salary in Tennessee
The median dental assistant earns $46,720 a year in Tennessee, with most between $44,440 and $59,270.
25th percentile
$44,440
Entry / lower range
Median
$46,720
The typical pay
75th percentile
$59,270
Experienced / upper range
That's roughly $46,720 per year or $22.46/hr at the median. Tennessee runs about 3% below the national median.
What drives dental assistant pay in Tennessee
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.
For dental pros
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Dental Assistant salary in Tennessee: FAQ
What is the average dental assistant salary in Tennessee?
The median dental assistant salary in Tennessee is about $46,720 per year ($22.46/hr), based on BLS OEWS data (May 2025). Most earn between $44,440 and $59,270.
How does Tennessee compare to the national average?
At a $46,720 median, dental assistant pay in Tennessee runs about 3% below the national median. Local cost of living and demand drive most of the difference.
Which Tennessee cities pay dental assistants the most?
Among Tennessee metros, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin is at the top, with a median around $48,540.
Hiring in Tennessee?
Fill dental assistant roles across every location.
Other roles in Tennessee
Dental Assistant salary by state