U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) / Department of Health and Human Services / Dental Assistant

Job-title file

Dental Assistant

Diagnose and treat patients, direct clinical care, and supervise other medical staff.

384 employees hold this title in Department of Health and Human Services. Median total compensation for the role is $50,127, below the department median of $129,759.

Employees: 384
Total payroll: $19.1M
Role median: $50,127
Agency median: $129,759
Comparison: Below

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

$34,803$66,702+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How total compensation varies among the 384 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Compared with the local labor market

Dental Assistant pay vs. the United States

Across all employers in the United States, the median wage for Dental Assistants — about 387,790 people — is $48,070. Department of Health and Human Services pays a median base salary of $50,127 for this role, 4% above that figure — about the 55th percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Department of Health and Human Services sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$37,130

$44,340

$48,070

$58,090

$62,250

Department of Health and Human Services median · $50,127

The bar is the range of annual wages for Dental Assistants across every employer in the United States, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Department of Health and Human Services’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

Computed over the 383 of 384 people in this role paid at least $25,000in base salary. The rest are part-year or part-time records, whose actual pay isn’t comparable to a full-time annual wage.

Median total compensation for this role at Department of Health and Human Services is $50,127, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare departments

This role across U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense)

Dental Assistant is held in 4 U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) departments. In Department of Health and Human Services, the median of $50,127 ranks #3 of 4.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Department of Homeland Security

$60,406 · 1

Department of Veterans Affairs

$57,191 · 1,922

Armed Forces Retirement Home

$49,025 · 1

Median total compensation for the Dental Assistant role in other U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense)departments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.

Compare jurisdictions

Dental Assistant beyond U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense)

This role is reported in 12 jurisdictions. In U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense), the median of $55,883 ranks #5 of 12. See Dental Assistant across all of U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) →

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

$97,088 · 41

$64,736 · 30

$64,500 · 11

$59,185 · 45

$51,118 · 43

$44,393 · 16

$43,798 · 24

$39,350 · 102

Median total compensation for comparable Dental Assistantroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 1

Sharon Pritchett

Dental Assistant/Department of Health and Human Services

2024 total comp

$70,578

Sub-department: Indian Health Service
Base pay: $70,578
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $70,578
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Claremore
Work county: Rogers
Work state: Oklahoma

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $70,578
Basic Pay (before locality): $60,416
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 400990131
Length of Service (Years): 21
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Sharon Pritchett holds the role of Dental Assistant at Department of Health and Human Services based in Claremore, Oklahoma. In 2024, their total compensation was $70,578. Their pay grade is 08.

Patricia Wagner

Dental Assistant/Department of Health and Human Services

2024 total comp

$70,578

Sub-department: Indian Health Service
Base pay: $70,578
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $70,578
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Chinle
Work county: Apache
Work state: Arizona

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $70,578
Basic Pay (before locality): $60,416
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 040083001
Length of Service (Years): 38
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Patricia Wagner holds the role of Dental Assistant at Department of Health and Human Services based in Chinle, Arizona. In 2024, their total compensation was $70,578. Their pay grade is 08.

Angeline Lowe

Dental Assistant/Department of Health and Human Services

2024 total comp

$69,768

Sub-department: Indian Health Service
Base pay: $68,768
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,000
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $69,768
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Wewoka
Work county: Seminole
Work state: Oklahoma

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $68,768
Basic Pay (before locality): $58,867
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 405160133
Length of Service (Years): 26
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Angeline Lowe is a Dental Assistant at Department of Health and Human Services based in Wewoka, Oklahoma. 2024 total compensation came to $69,768. They are classified at grade 08.

Velma Smith

Dental Assistant/Department of Health and Human Services

2024 total comp

$69,492

Sub-department: Indian Health Service
Base pay: $69,492
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $69,492
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Gallup
Work county: Mckinley
Work state: New Mexico

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $69,492
Basic Pay (before locality): $58,867
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 350340031
Length of Service (Years): 35
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Velma Smith holds the role of Dental Assistant at Department of Health and Human Services based in Gallup, New Mexico. In 2024, their total compensation was $69,492. Their pay grade is 08.

Bear SpottedMay be multiple

Dental Assistant/Department of Health and Human Services

2024 total comp

$68,768

Sub-department: Indian Health Service
Pay grade: 06
Work city: Crow Agency
Work county: Big Horn
Work state: Montana

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $48,529
Basic Pay (before locality): $41,542
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 300285003
Length of Service (Years): 7
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

This Dental Assistant record at Department of Health and Human Services for Bear Spotted may represent several individuals, totaling $68,768 in 2024.

Debora Greenwood

Dental Assistant/Department of Health and Human Services

2024 total comp

$68,332

Sub-department: Indian Health Service
Base pay: $64,332
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $4,000
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $68,332
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Lawrence
Work county: Douglas
Work state: Kansas

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $64,332
Basic Pay (before locality): $54,220
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 203010045
Length of Service (Years): 3
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Debora Greenwood works as a Dental Assistant for Department of Health and Human Services based in Lawrence, Kansas. Debora earned $68,332 in 2024. Their pay grade is 08.

Stella Moore

Dental Assistant/Department of Health and Human Services

2024 total comp

$66,959

Sub-department: Indian Health Service
Base pay: $66,959
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $66,959
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Pawnee
Work county: Pawnee
Work state: Oklahoma

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $66,959
Basic Pay (before locality): $57,318
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 403690117
Length of Service (Years): 39
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Health and Human Services, Stella Moore serves as a Dental Assistant based in Pawnee, Oklahoma. Their 2024 pay totaled $66,959. They are classified at grade 08.

Elverna Spottedwolf

Dental Assistant/Department of Health and Human Services

2024 total comp

$66,959

Sub-department: Indian Health Service
Base pay: $66,959
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $66,959
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Clinton
Work county: Custer
Work state: Oklahoma

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $66,959
Basic Pay (before locality): $57,318
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 401030039
Length of Service (Years): 33
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Elverna Spottedwolf works as a Dental Assistant for Department of Health and Human Services based in Clinton, Oklahoma. Elverna earned $66,959 in 2024. Their pay grade is 08.

Yvonne Smith

Dental Assistant/Department of Health and Human Services

2024 total comp

$66,570

Sub-department: Indian Health Service
Base pay: $66,570
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $66,570
Pay grade: 07
Work city: Phoenix
Work county: Maricopa
Work state: Arizona

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $66,570
Basic Pay (before locality): $54,557
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 040370013
Length of Service (Years): 32
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Yvonne Smith is a Dental Assistant at Department of Health and Human Services based in Phoenix, Arizona. 2024 total compensation came to $66,570. They are classified at grade 07.

Cynthia Yazzie

Dental Assistant/Department of Health and Human Services

2024 total comp

$66,570

Sub-department: Indian Health Service
Base pay: $66,570
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $66,570
Pay grade: 07
Work city: Phoenix
Work county: Maricopa
Work state: Arizona

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $66,570
Basic Pay (before locality): $54,557
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 040370013
Length of Service (Years): 49
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Health and Human Services, Cynthia Yazzie serves as a Dental Assistant based in Phoenix, Arizona. Their 2024 pay totaled $66,570. They are classified at grade 07.

Jessica Blackman

Dental Assistant/Department of Health and Human Services

2024 total comp

$65,149

Sub-department: Indian Health Service
Base pay: $65,149
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $65,149
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Browning
Work county: Glacier
Work state: Montana

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $65,149
Basic Pay (before locality): $55,769
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 300170035
Length of Service (Years): 22
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Jessica Blackman holds the role of Dental Assistant at Department of Health and Human Services based in Browning, Montana. In 2024, their total compensation was $65,149. Their pay grade is 08.

Marilyn Chee

Dental Assistant/Department of Health and Human Services

2024 total comp

$65,149

Sub-department: Indian Health Service
Base pay: $65,149
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $65,149
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Kayenta
Work county: Navajo
Work state: Arizona

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $65,149
Basic Pay (before locality): $55,769
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 040253017
Length of Service (Years): 21
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Marilyn Chee holds the role of Dental Assistant at Department of Health and Human Services based in Kayenta, Arizona. In 2024, their total compensation was $65,149. Their pay grade is 08.

Johanna Wilson

Dental Assistant/Department of Health and Human Services

2024 total comp

$65,149

Sub-department: Indian Health Service
Base pay: $65,149
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $65,149
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Teec Nos Pos
Work county: Apache
Work state: Arizona

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $65,149
Basic Pay (before locality): $55,769
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 040495001
Length of Service (Years): 22
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Johanna Wilson works as a Dental Assistant for Department of Health and Human Services based in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. Johanna earned $65,149 in 2024. Their pay grade is 08.