--- title: "How to hire a dental assistant: steps, pay data, rules" description: "How to hire a dental assistant: define the role, check state rules, read BLS pay data from May 2025, and plan onboarding. Includes Missouri EFDA course notes." url: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/how-to-hire-a-dental-assistant publisher: Copeland Consulting Services email: drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com contact: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact --- # How to hire a dental assistant: steps, pay data, rules Define the role, check what your state allows assistants to do, set pay with current data, then screen, interview, and onboard. BLS reported a $48,070 median wage for dental assistants in May 2025. In Missouri, expanded function training runs through approved courses. Team and leadershipPublished October 26, 20264 min read ## How do you hire a dental assistant? Hire in six steps: define the role, check state rules, set pay, recruit, interview, and onboard. This post follows that order and uses published sources for the facts. It is general information, not employment or legal advice. Step Task Source or note 1 Write a job description BLS duty list 2 Check state scope of practice BLS; Missouri sources 3 Set pay with current data BLS, May 2025 4 Recruit and screen ADA News on hiring conditions 5 Interview fairly [Dental interview questions](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/dental-interview-questions) 6 Onboard and train Your own procedures ## What does a dental assistant do? The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says dental assistants provide patient care, take x rays, keep records, and schedule appointments. Its duty list includes making patients comfortable, preparing the work area, sterilizing instruments, handing instruments to dentists, drying patients’ mouths with suction, and keeping treatment records. BLS adds that duties vary by state and by office. It also says each state regulates the scope of practice for dental assistants. Some states let assistants polish teeth or apply sealants, fluoride, or topical anesthetic. Your [job description](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/job-description) should list only tasks the law allows in your state and your office wants this person to do. See the glossary entries for [dental assistant](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-assistant) and [scope of practice](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/scope-of-practice). ## What does state law require? Rules differ by state, so check yours first. BLS says some states require assistants to graduate from an accredited program and pass an exam, while other states set no formal education requirement and assistants learn through on-the-job training. It says states typically do not require licenses for entry-level assistants, but may require licensing, registration, or certification for tasks like radiography or expanded duties. For Missouri, the Missouri Dental Association (MDA) runs a program for expanded function dental assistants. The MDA page lists courses, a Basic Skills Review, and nitrous oxide monitoring. It says EFDA courses often fill before the suggested deadline and that seats are limited, so an office planning to send a team member should register early. Dates on that page change, so read the current listing. See [expanded function dental assistants in Missouri](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/expanded-function-dental-assistants-in-missouri) and the glossary entry for [EFDA](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/efda). Check the Missouri Dental Board for rules that apply to your hire. ## What should you pay a dental assistant? Use current data and your local market, not a single national number. BLS reports the median annual wage for dental assistants was $48,070 in May 2025, or $23.11 per hour. Half earned more and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $37,130, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $62,250. BLS also lists a May 2025 median of $48,000 for assistants in offices of dentists. For a Missouri figure, BLS points to its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) tool by state and area. Read the state table before you set a range. See [dental assistant pay in Missouri](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/dental-assistant-salary-in-missouri) for a state-focused post. Pay is one part of the offer. The ADA Health Policy Institute 2022 survey lists insufficient pay, feeling overworked, and a negative workplace culture among the factors tied to leaving. For dental assistants, those were the three most common reasons for low satisfaction, in that order. Plan benefits and schedule with the same care. ## How hard is hiring right now? Hiring remains hard but may be easing slightly. ADA News reported Health Policy Institute data from a late 2024 survey. About 62% of dentists named staffing shortages as their biggest challenge for 2025. Among dentists who were actively recruiting, nearly 87% said it was very or extremely challenging to hire dental assistants in late 2022, and slightly more than 70% said so by the end of 2024. ADA News also reported that between 30% and 40% of dentists had recruited hygienists or assistants in the three months before the survey. See dental assistant shortage for the full data, and the glossary entry for [workforce shortage](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/workforce-shortage). ## Where do you find candidates? Use more than one channel. Common sources include dental assisting programs, which BLS says are mostly offered by community colleges and often take about a year. Local referrals, job boards, and staffing services also play a part. This post does not recommend any service, so read the terms before you use one. The ADA also lists recruiting resources and staff position descriptions on its managing-teams page, some for members only. Check what your membership includes. See the glossary entries for dental recruiting and dental staffing. ## How do you screen and interview? Screen for the credentials the role needs, then interview with a set of job-related questions. Keep pre-offer questions away from topics the EEOC warns about. The dental interview questions post covers what to ask and what to skip. BLS lists qualities such as detail orientation, dexterity, interpersonal skills, listening skills, and organizational skills for dental assistants. Use them to shape scenario questions. ## How should you onboard a new assistant? Plan the first weeks before the start date. BLS says assistants without formal education learn through on-the-job training from a hygienist, dentist, or experienced assistant, who teaches terminology, instrument names, daily tasks, and patient interaction. Write that down as a checklist. Your standard operating procedures and employee handbook should be ready on day one. See dental employee handbook contents. Good onboarding also supports employee retention. The HPI survey names positive workplace culture among factors tied to retention, and lack of growth opportunity among factors tied to attrition. ## Next step For the whole hiring and retention process, read [hire and keep a dental team](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/hire-and-keep-a-dental-team). To ask about building a dental team, [Contact Dr. Copeland about consulting](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact?topic=consulting). ## Frequently asked questions ### What does a dental assistant earn? BLS reports a median annual wage of $48,070 for dental assistants in May 2025, or $23.11 per hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $37,130 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $62,250. Local pay varies, so check your market. ### Do dental assistants need a license? BLS says states typically do not require licenses for entry-level dental assistants, but some require licensing, registration, or certification for certain tasks such as radiography. Check the Missouri Dental Board for current rules in Missouri. ### How hard is it to hire a dental assistant right now? In ADA Health Policy Institute data reported by ADA News, nearly 87% of recruiting dentists in late 2022 called hiring dental assistants very or extremely challenging, and slightly more than 70% did by the end of 2024. ## Terms on this page - [Missouri Dental Association](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/missouri-dental-association) - [Missouri Dental Board](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/missouri-dental-board) - [Employee retention](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/employee-retention) - [Workforce shortage](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/workforce-shortage) - [Dental recruiting](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-recruiting) - [Employee handbook](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/employee-handbook) - [Scope of practice](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/scope-of-practice) - [Dental assistant](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-assistant) - [Dental staffing](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-staffing) - [Job description](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/job-description) ## Sources 1. [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Dental Assistants (Occupational Outlook Handbook)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm) 2. [Missouri Dental Association: EFDA program](https://www.modental.org/meetings-events/efda-bs) 3. [ADA News: Five years later, staffing shortages and infection control since the COVID-19 pandemic (Feb. 27, 2025)](https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2025/february/five-years-later-staffing-shortages-infection-control-since-the-covid-19-pandemic/) 4. [ADA Health Policy Institute: Dental Workforce Shortages, Data to Navigate Today's Labor Market (2022 survey)](https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/research/hpi/dental_workforce_shortages_labor_market.pdf) Written by Copeland Consulting Services and checked against the sources above on October 26, 2026. Rules, data and guidance change, so check the linked page before you act on it. ## Keep reading - [How to hire and keep a dental teamDental team hiring is hard because the supply of assistants and hygienists is tight. ADA Health Policy Institute research links retention to workplace culture, work-life balance and fair pay. Write job ads and interview questions around the job's duties, and ask an employment attorney before you finalize hiring and pay policies.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/hire-and-keep-a-dental-team) - [Dental interview questions: what to ask and what to avoidAsk about skills, reliability, and how a candidate handles real dental office tasks. The EEOC says pre-employment questions should be limited to what is essential to judge whether a person is qualified, and that pre-offer disability inquiries are prohibited. Ask an employment attorney to review your question list.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/dental-interview-questions) - [Dental assistant pay in Missouri: what BLS data showsThe Bureau of Labor Statistics lists 6,760 dental assistants in Missouri in May 2025, with a mean wage of $46,790 and a median of $45,970 a year, or $22.10 an hour. The national median is $48,070. Pay in one office depends on duties, skills and local labor markets.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/dental-assistant-salary-in-missouri) - [Expanded function dental assistants in Missouri: the pathAn expanded function dental assistant (EFDA) is a dental assistant with added training who can perform extra tasks when a dentist delegates them. In Missouri, the path runs through an eligibility exam or license, an MDA course, and a Dental Board permit that must be issued before delegation.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/expanded-function-dental-assistants-in-missouri) - [Dental assistant shortage: what ADA data showsADA Health Policy Institute data shows hiring dental assistants stayed hard but eased: nearly 87% of recruiting dentists called it very or extremely challenging in late 2022, and slightly more than 70% did by the end of 2024. BLS projects about 53,000 dental assistant openings each year through 2035.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/dental-assistant-shortage) - [AI in the dental practice: what it does, what studies show and what to checkAI in dentistry mostly means software that reads images or handles office tasks. Studies of radiograph tools show promising accuracy but often rest on weak designs. Some image tools are regulated by the FDA as prescription devices. Any tool that touches patient data raises HIPAA questions you should settle before use.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/ai-in-the-dental-practice) ## Talk with Dr. Copeland [Contact Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact)[Email](mailto:drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com)