Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Iowa | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $48,430 | $48,867 | -1% |
| Median hourly wage | $23.28 | $23.49 | -1% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $55,159.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Dental Assistant in Iowa is $48,430, or about $23.28 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Dental Assistants is $48,867. Iowa is -1% below the national median.
Entry-level dental assistants in Iowa typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 3,210 dental assistant jobs on record and a median salary of $48,430, Iowa offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, dental assistants rank 470 of the 711 occupations reported in Iowa — higher than 34% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Occupational Therapy Assistants at $64,140, Physical Therapist Assistants at $61,030, Massage Therapists at $57,710 — all figures are median annual wages for Iowa.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Iowa levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 90.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, dental assistants rank 470 of the 711 occupations reported in Iowa — higher than 34% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Iowa | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | $64,140 | $400 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | $61,030 | $1,060 |
| Massage Therapists | $57,710 | $540 |
| Medical Assistants | $45,480 | $5,990 |
| Medical Transcriptionists | $45,010 | $180 |
| Healthcare Support Workers, All Other | $44,720 | $470 |
Iowa levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 90.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 711 occupations in Iowa.