CDA certification opens doors for career advancement, higher pay

For dental assistants who want to further their careers, becoming DANB certified is a milestone achievement that brings many benefits. Certification gives dental assistants a sense of pride and helps them approach their job with confidence. It shows they’re committed to their career, have a high level of clinical knowledge, and can provide high-quality patient care.

And certification can also help dental assistants earn higher pay — both directly and indirectly.

DANB has conducted the Dental Assistants Salary and Satisfaction Survey every two years since 2004, and the results have consistently shown that Certified Dental Assistants (CDAs) earn higher hourly wages than non-certified dental assistants. That trend continued in the 2024 report, which showed the median wage for CDAs is $26 per hour. That’s $3.50 more than non-certified dental assistants, who earn a median of $22.50 per hour.

In some cases, employers specifically seek out CDAs for their teams and are willing to pay higher wages to these dental assistants. Other practices may offer pay increases to dental assistants already on their staff who become certified.

Francine Hehir, CDA, RDA, of Hamburg, New York, can attest to that. She’s worked in the same dental office for almost three decades, and when she decided to become certified early in her career, she was rewarded by her practice.

“My employer did provide [me with] a pay increase and actually now only hires CDAs to work in our office,” she says.

Rhonda Peterson, CDA, of Dalton, Georgia, had the same experience.

“Being DANB certified helped me land a higher-paying dental assisting job immediately after I earned my credentials,” she shares.

Stepping into leadership

It’s true that not all practices provide raises for CDAs — but certification can lead to increased knowledge and confidence that open new opportunities down the road.

Earning certification not only requires passing three exams (Infection Control, Radiation Health and Safety, and General Chairside Assisting), but dental assistants must also complete continuing education to maintain their credentials each year, ensuring they’re always learning and growing.

“Having a CDA certification has helped increase my confidence and skills because annually, to renew your certification, you need 12 hours of continuing education,” says Sarina DeAngelis, CDA, of Newington, Connecticut.

Hehir agrees, and it’s why she’s maintained her certification for over 20 years.

“My motivation to keep renewing my certification each year is the challenge of taking CE credits to learn new things and emphasize what I already have learned,” explains Hehir. “And I want to keep the CDA credentials after I sign my name!”

With increased knowledge and the power of credentials behind their name, CDAs often report feeling more confident in their work — from anticipating their dentist’s needs to being better equipped to answer questions from patients. In turn, this can help dental assistants like Hehir and DeAngelis perform at a higher level and earn new job responsibilities and opportunities.

“Holding a CDA has allowed me to apply for and accept positions that I otherwise wouldn’t be qualified or even considered for,” says DeAngelis.

Hehir shares that having her certification also helps her provide guidance to new dental assistants in her office.

“I feel more confident in being able to help train new assistants and hopefully being a mentor like the one I had when I began my career of dental assisting.”

Many CDAs take on these mentorship, training, and supervisory roles, such as lead dental assistant. According to DANB’s survey, 52% of CDAs are lead dental assistants. And the median pay is $2 per hour higher for lead dental assistants than for those who are not.

Certification also allows many dental assistants to perform restorative functions, such as placing temporary crowns, taking impressions, and applying sealants. About one in four CDAs perform restorative functions, and these dental assistants make $3 more per hour than those who don’t.

Elevating to new heights

Those are just some of the many opportunities certification can create. Many CDAs also become dental assisting educators and office managers. For dental assistants who aspire to teach, certification is a must since many programs require it from their instructors.

“Being certified has made me stay up to date, encouraged me to gain all of the expanded function credentials that I can, and allowed me to hold my current position as a teacher and director of the very same accredited dental assisting program that I graduated from in 1981,” says Leslie Greer, CDA, EFDA, EFODA, B.A.S., of Dexter, Oregon.