Which states have the highest dental assistant job satisfaction?
Dental assisting is rewarding for a multitude of reasons — from impacting patients’ lives in meaningful ways to working as part of a cohesive team and performing a variety of tasks. Of course, the profession also comes with challenges. Some dental assistants feel undervalued or underpaid, and ongoing dental staff shortages have left some feeling stretched thin and burned out. Still, most dental assistants find their profession rewarding. About two in three dental assistants said they’re “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their current jobs in DANB’s 2024 Dental Assistants Salary and Satisfaction Survey.
Job satisfaction can vary based on many factors. Salary, work-life balance, and feeling part of a team are the top three factors that influence how happy dental assistants are in their roles. Location can also play a part, as states may differ in terms of cost of living, wages, education pathways, credentials, and allowable duties for dental assistants.
Below, we share the states with the highest job satisfaction for dental assistants, based on survey respondents who said they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” in their current roles.
Best states for dental assistant job satisfaction
Here are the states with a job satisfaction rate of 65% or higher (minimum of 10 survey responses):
- Wisconsin (83%)
- New Hampshire (81%)
- Colorado (77%)
- Maine (75%)
- Idaho (73%)
- Michigan (71%)
- New York (70%)
- Indiana (67%)
- Missouri (67%)
- Washington (67%)
- North Carolina (66%)
- Iowa (66%)
- Minnesota (65%)
- North Dakota (65%)
Overall, 22% of dental assistants said they are “very satisfied” with their current jobs. Here are the states where at least 30% of dental assistants fit that description:
- Vermont (36%)
- New Hampshire (34%)
- Washington (33%)
- Maine (31%)
- Colorado (31%)
- California (30%)
- Mississippi (30%)