U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) / Department of Veterans Affairs / Dental Assistant

Job-title file

Dental Assistant

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

1,922 employees hold this title in Department of Veterans Affairs. Median total compensation for the role is $57,191, below the department median of $88,751.

Employees: 1,922
Total payroll: $112.3M
Role median: $57,191
Agency median: $88,751
Comparison: Below

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

$0$83,307+

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

How total compensation varies among the 1,922 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 Veterans Affairs pays a median base salary of $57,191 for this role, 19% above that figure — about the 73rd percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Department of Veterans Affairs sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$37,130

$44,340

$48,070

$58,090

$62,250

Department of Veterans Affairs median · $57,191

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 Veterans Affairs’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

Computed over the 1,918 of 1,922 people in this role paid at least $25,000 in 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 Veterans Affairs is $57,191, 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 Veterans Affairs, the median of $57,191 ranks #2 of 4.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Department of Homeland Security

$60,406 · 1

Department of Health and Human Services

$50,127 · 384

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 Assistant roles 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 11

Mary Gallagher

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,292

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,292
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,292
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Charleston
Work county: Charleston
Work state: South Carolina

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,292
Basic Pay (before locality): $46,475
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 450410019
Length of Service (Years): 0
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Mary Gallagher is a Dental Assistant at Department of Veterans Affairs based in Charleston, South Carolina. 2024 total compensation came to $54,292. They are classified at grade 08.

Destiny Moskowitz

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,292

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,292
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,292
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Salem
Work county: Salem
Work state: Virginia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,292
Basic Pay (before locality): $46,475
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 512170775
Length of Service (Years): 4
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Destiny Moskowitz works as a Dental Assistant for Department of Veterans Affairs based in Salem, Virginia. Destiny earned $54,292 in 2024. Their pay grade is 08.

Alissa Fuhrmann

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,292

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,292
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,292
Pay grade: 08
Work city: Fort Meade
Work county: Meade
Work state: South Dakota

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,292
Basic Pay (before locality): $46,475
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 461025093
Length of Service (Years): 0
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Alissa Fuhrmann is a Dental Assistant at Department of Veterans Affairs based in Fort Meade, South Dakota. 2024 total compensation came to $54,292. They are classified at grade 08.

Felicia Purvis

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,286

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,286
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,286
Pay grade: 06
Work city: Baltimore
Work county: Baltimore
Work state: Maryland

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,286
Basic Pay (before locality): $39,024
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 240050510
Length of Service (Years): 0
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Felicia Purvis holds the role of Dental Assistant at Department of Veterans Affairs based in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2024, their total compensation was $54,286. Their pay grade is 06.

Jamila Moussadaq

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,269

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,269
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,269
Pay grade: 06
Work city: Houston
Work county: Harris
Work state: Texas

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,269
Basic Pay (before locality): $40,283
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 483280201
Length of Service (Years): 2
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Veterans Affairs, Jamila Moussadaq serves as a Dental Assistant based in Houston, Texas. Their 2024 pay totaled $54,269. They are classified at grade 06.

Monique Smith

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,269

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,269
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,269
Pay grade: 06
Work city: Houston
Work county: Harris
Work state: Texas

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,269
Basic Pay (before locality): $40,283
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 483280201
Length of Service (Years): 2
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Monique Smith works as a Dental Assistant for Department of Veterans Affairs based in Houston, Texas. Monique earned $54,269 in 2024. Their pay grade is 06.

Gaylan Henry

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,269

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,269
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,269
Pay grade: 06
Work city: Houston
Work county: Harris
Work state: Texas

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,269
Basic Pay (before locality): $40,283
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 483280201
Length of Service (Years): 2
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Gaylan Henry is a Dental Assistant at Department of Veterans Affairs based in Houston, Texas. 2024 total compensation came to $54,269. They are classified at grade 06.

Shannon Metoyer

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,269

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,269
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,269
Pay grade: 06
Work city: Houston
Work county: Harris
Work state: Texas

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,269
Basic Pay (before locality): $40,283
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 483280201
Length of Service (Years): 2
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Veterans Affairs, Shannon Metoyer serves as a Dental Assistant based in Houston, Texas. Their 2024 pay totaled $54,269. They are classified at grade 06.

Marcia Viney

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,227

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,227
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,227
Pay grade: 07
Work city: Dayton
Work county: Montgomery
Work state: Ohio

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,227
Basic Pay (before locality): $44,764
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 392090113
Length of Service (Years): 3
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Marcia Viney holds the role of Dental Assistant at Department of Veterans Affairs based in Dayton, Ohio. In 2024, their total compensation was $54,227. Their pay grade is 07.

Cynia Abundo

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,151

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,151
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,151
Pay grade: 06
Work city: North Chicago
Work county: Lake
Work state: Illinois

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,151
Basic Pay (before locality): $37,765
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 176290097
Length of Service (Years): 3
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Cynia Abundo holds the role of Dental Assistant at Department of Veterans Affairs based in North Chicago, Illinois. In 2024, their total compensation was $54,151. Their pay grade is 06.

Inez Barraza

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,151

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,151
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,151
Pay grade: 06
Work city: Hines
Work county: Cook
Work state: Illinois

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,151
Basic Pay (before locality): $37,765
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 173975031
Length of Service (Years): 0
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Inez Barraza is a Dental Assistant at Department of Veterans Affairs based in Hines, Illinois. 2024 total compensation came to $54,151. They are classified at grade 06.

Erica Corona

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,151

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,151
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,151
Pay grade: 06
Work city: Hines
Work county: Cook
Work state: Illinois

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,151
Basic Pay (before locality): $37,765
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 173975031
Length of Service (Years): 0
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Erica Corona works as a Dental Assistant for Department of Veterans Affairs based in Hines, Illinois. Erica earned $54,151 in 2024. Their pay grade is 06.

Lynneebeth Rodriguez

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,151

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,151
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,151
Pay grade: 06
Work city: North Chicago
Work county: Lake
Work state: Illinois

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,151
Basic Pay (before locality): $37,765
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 176290097
Length of Service (Years): 0
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Lynneebeth Rodriguez holds the role of Dental Assistant at Department of Veterans Affairs based in North Chicago, Illinois. In 2024, their total compensation was $54,151. Their pay grade is 06.

Laura Valle

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,151

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,151
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,151
Pay grade: 06
Work city: North Chicago
Work county: Lake
Work state: Illinois

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,151
Basic Pay (before locality): $37,765
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 176290097
Length of Service (Years): 0
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Laura Valle is a Dental Assistant at Department of Veterans Affairs based in North Chicago, Illinois. 2024 total compensation came to $54,151. They are classified at grade 06.

Francisco Casanova

Dental Assistant/Department of Veterans Affairs

2024 total comp

$54,151

Sub-department: Veterans Health Administration
Base pay: $54,151
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $54,151
Pay grade: 06
Work city: Hines
Work county: Cook
Work state: Illinois

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $54,151
Basic Pay (before locality): $37,765
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 173975031
Length of Service (Years): 0
Occupation Code (OPM): 0681
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Francisco Casanova works as a Dental Assistant for Department of Veterans Affairs based in Hines, Illinois. Francisco earned $54,151 in 2024. Their pay grade is 06.