dental assisting national board, inc. 2018-2019 dental...

2018-2019 DENTAL ASSISTANTS SALARY & SATISFACTION

SURVEY

Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.

Learn more athttp://danbcertified.org

I have maintained DANB certification for 26 years, and it has always been a benefit to me.

SALARIES BY STATE

DANB CERTIFICANT EARNINGS

CERTIFICANT SALARIES

DANB CERTIFICANTS EARN MORE

* Data from DC is from 2014 due to insufficient data collected from the 2016 and 2018 surveys. ** Compared to figures from the 2018 Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

© 2019 Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. All Rights Reserved. •

Dental assistants who hold DANB CDA certification earn $2 more per hour than all dental assistants.**

DANB Certified$20.76

All Dental Assistants$18.59

Dental assistants who hold DANB’s Certified Dental AssistantTM (CDA®) certification earn more per hour than dental assistants who don’t. The map below shows the median hourly wages of DANB CDA certificants by state.

CERTIFICANT SALARY BREAKDOWNGETTING INTO THE EARNINGS DETAILSIf you’re a Certified Dental Assistant certificant, your salary may be the result of many factors, including years of experience, practice setting or location, and employment status. The charts below break down the median hourly wages DANB CDA certificants earn based on these various employment details.

Years in ProfessionLess than 1 year $17.001-2 years $16.003-5 years $19.006-10 years $20.0011-15 years $21.0016-19 years $23.1220 or more years $24.00

Practice TypeEndodontic $19.00Oral surgery $20.00General dentistry $20.50 Multi-specialty $20.58Orthodontic $22.00Pediatric $22.50 Prosthodontic $24.00 Periodontic $25.50

Employment StatusFull-time $20.59 Part-time $21.00 Temporary $21.00

EducationHigh school or equivalent $22.00Some college but no degree $20.00Associate degree $20.25Bachelor’s degree $20.00Master’s degree $25.00

TOP PAYING STATES$26.50 Delaware $25.65 Wyoming $25.00 Alaska, Massachusetts $24.13 Oklahoma$23.73 Minnesota $23.50 Maine $23.00 New Hampshire, New Jersey North Dakota $22.50 Maryland, Washington $22.47 Vermont $22.00 California, D.C., Nevada

Practice LocationRural area $20.00 Town/city $20.00 Small city or suburb $21.00 Large city $21.00 Metropolitan area $23.13Military base $17.63

STRONG CAREER OUTLOOKDental assisting is a fast-growing profession, and DANB CDA certificants are positioned for success.

CDA certificants nationwide — and growing every year!

expected increase in dental assisting jobs by 2026*

36K

19%


CERTIFICANT SALARIES

* Data is from the 2018 Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

CDA CERTIFICANTS EARN MORECertified Dental Assistant certificants not only earn $2 more per hour than dental assistants who are not certified, but they also more frequently ask for and receive raises.

INCREASED EARNINGS

ASKING FOR MORECDA certificants frequently reported asking for and receiving raises.

68% of CDA certificants received a raise in their current position

52% of non-certified assistants received a raise in their current position

I have asked for a raise and it was granted at a higher amount than I had asked.


BENEFITS OF CERTIFICATION

PROFESSIONAL BENEFITS

TOP 5 WORK BENEFITS1. Paid vacation

2. Paid holidays

3. Retirement plan

4. Health insurance

5. Paid sick leave

TOP 5 PERSONAL BENEFITS1. Pride

2. Self-improvement

3. Increased knowledge

4. Higher pay

5. Stand out in job search

HOLDING DANB CERTIFICATION BRINGS MANY BENEFITSDental assistants who hold DANB certification report numerous personal and professional benefits. As a result of this and many other factors, DANB certificants report high levels of career satisfaction and a passion for the profession.

© 2017 Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.

DENTAL ASSISTING NATIONAL BOARD, INC. | WWW.DANB.ORG | 1-800-367-3262


CAREER SATISFACTION

JOB SATISFACTIONCDA certificants were more likely to report high or very high job satisfaction.

82% of CDA certificants reported high or very high job satisfaction

75% of non-certified assistants reported high or very high job satisfaction

CAREER COMMITMENTCDA certificants were more likely to agree with the statement that “I view dental assisting as a career, not just a job.”

88% of CDA certificants strongly agree or agree

83% of non-certified assistants strongly agree or agree

EMPLOYER RECOGNITIONCDA certificants were more likely to agree with the statement that “I feel valued by my employer.”

60% of CDA certificants strongly agree or agree

58% of non-certified assistants strongly agree or agree

PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENTDANB CERTIFICANTS ENJOY THEIR CAREERSDANB certificants were more likely than non-certified assistants to report high job satisfaction, to see dental assisting as a career, and to feel valued by their employer. These are just some of the reasons why DANB Certified Dental Assistant certificants maintain and encourage others to earn certification.

COMMITTED TO CERTIFICATION 99% plan to renew

ENCOURAGING OF OTHERS 93% would encourage others to earn certification




CAREER SATISFACTION

For all dental assistants, certified and non-certified, those who earned higher salaries were more likely to have high job satisfaction, more likely to view dental assisting as a career, and more likely to feel valued by their employer.

CHARTING THE TRENDS

Have high job satisfaction

View dental assisting as a career

Feel valued by employer

Strongly disagree Strongly agree

$23

$22

$21

$20

$19

$18

$17

$16

$15

JOB FACTORS THAT MATTER MOST TO DENTAL ASSISTANTS

1. Salary

2. Work/life balance

3. Insurance benefits

4. Feeling part of a team

5. Employer recognition

My career satisfaction is due to the fact that I worked for dentists who valued and appreciated my work as a dental assistant.

While dental assistants rank salary as the top factor in a job, they also value qualities such as work/life balance, employer appreciation, and feeling like part of a team.

WORKPLACE MATTERS

SALARY AND SATISFACTION

EDUCATED AND EXPERIENCEDDANB certificants are educated and experienced professionals who are committed to the profession and passionate about lifelong learning.

DELIVERING VALUE TO THE DENTAL PRACTICE

Being a Certified Dental Assistant certificant builds our knowledge and skills so that we can bring value to the dental practice.


DANB certificants are integral to the dental office. They perform many important functions that keep the office running smoothly. DANB certificants contribute to office productivity and efficiency — contributing to the bottom line.

Top 5 duties CDA certificants perform

• Infection control 89%

• Lab functions 66%

• Expanded functions 60%

• Order dental supplies and equipment 57%

• In-office training 48%

CERTIFICANTS DELIVER VALUE

ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONDANB CDA certificants more frequently reported having completed higher education than non-certified assistants.

89% of CDA certificants completed some college or more

80% of non-certified assistants completed some college or more

INCREASED PROFESSIONAL DEDICATIONDANB CDA certificants have been with their employers for more years than non-certificants.

64% of CDA certificants have been employed in their current position for at least three years

35% of non-certified assistants have been employed in their current position for at least three years



THE DANB DIFFERENCEThe value of holding DANB certification is clear. Year after year, DANB Certified Dental Assistant certificants share the value they see in holding credentials that set them apart from the rest.

In addition to earning a higher salary, DANB CDA certificants reported differences in some key areas.


CERTIFICANTS DELIVER VALUE

ADDITIONAL STATE CREDENTIALSCDA certificants are more likely to have a state-specific expanded functions credential.

53% of CDA certificants reported holding a state-specific expanded functions credential

23% of non-certified assistants reported holding a state-specific expanded functions credential

MORE OFFICE CONTRIBUTIONS CDA Non-CDAPerform expanded functions 60% 31%Order materials 57% 52%Conduct in-office training 48% 42%

MORE PURCHASING POWER

69% of CDA certificants reported being involved with recommending products or placing orders

56% of non-certified assistants reported being involved with recommending products and/or placing orders

GREATER EMPLOYER LOYALTYWhen asked about whether they were thinking about leaving their current employer, CDA certificants overall were happier in their jobs and more likely to demonstrate loyalty to their current employer.

58% of CDA certificants are planning to stay with their current employer

54% of non-certified assistants are planning to stay with their current employer

ABOUT THE SURVEY DANB’s 2018-2019 Dental Assistants Salary and Satisfaction Survey was conducted in October 2018. The findings in this report are based on a 14% total response rate from a stratified random sample of 6,000 CDA certificants and more than 4,000 non-certified assistants who passed DANB’s RHS, ICE or CP exams. Survey researchers consider this response rate sufficient to generalize the results to the population surveyed.

Salary figures are reported as the median response (the median is the point in a data set at which about 50% of the responses fall above and 50% fall below). Salary figures are reported as hourly wages, with-out including the dollar value of any employee benefits.

DANB has conducted a salary survey every two years since 2004. The consistency of data over these years supports the conclusion that these results are representative of the population.


CONTACT USDental Assisting National Board, Inc.444 N. Michigan, Suite 900Chicago, IL 60611www.danb.org1-800-367-3262

SURVEY DETAILS

Research services for this report were provided by the DALE Foundation, the official DANB affiliate.

®

dental assisting national board, inc. 2018-2019 dental...

Documents