Prepare patients and instruments, assist the dentist chairside, and handle records and scheduling.
Dental offices; chairside, on your feet, close hands-on work.
Full-time and part-time; some evenings and weekends.
May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
Certificate program
Training path: Cert program — or trained on the job in many states.
Requirements vary by state; some duties require certification or registration.
You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.
Chairside from month one; hygienist is the classic step up.
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Browse verified internships, fellowships, and programs — many paid — that lead into fields like this.
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Standard Occupational Classification 31-9091. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.