Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Tennessee | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $46,720 | $48,867 | -4% |
| Median hourly wage | $22.46 | $23.49 | -4% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $50,838.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Dental Assistant in Tennessee is $46,720, or about $22.46 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Dental Assistants is $48,867. Tennessee is -4% below the national median.
Entry-level dental assistants in Tennessee typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 7,420 dental assistant jobs on record and a median salary of $46,720, Tennessee offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, dental assistants rank 474 of the 730 occupations reported in Tennessee — higher than 35% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Physical Therapist Assistants at $62,500, Occupational Therapy Assistants at $62,420, Massage Therapists at $50,070 — all figures are median annual wages for Tennessee.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Tennessee has no state income tax on wages, so take-home pay is closer to the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 92.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, dental assistants rank 474 of the 730 occupations reported in Tennessee — higher than 35% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Tennessee | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapist Assistants | $62,500 | $3,390 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | $62,420 | $1,300 |
| Massage Therapists | $50,070 | $1,230 |
| Healthcare Support Workers, All Other | $47,940 | $1,230 |
| Medical Equipment Preparers | $46,990 | $1,590 |
| Medical Transcriptionists | $44,720 | $1,450 |
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages, so take-home pay is closer to the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 92.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 730 occupations in Tennessee.