SOC 31-9091 · McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro

Dental Assistants Salary in McAllen, TX

The average salary for dental assistants in McAllen, Texas is $38,630 a year ($18.57 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $37,230: half of the 670 people in this job in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 24% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($50,500).

$38,630average per year

$18.57 / hourMedian $37,230Take-home ≈ $33,219

  • $30K10th
  • $31K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $44K75th
  • $45K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

670people in this job
-24%vs U.S. metro average
#25 of 25Texas metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Dental Assistants pay range in McAllen

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,960 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,490 or more. The middle half of dental assistants in McAllen earn between $30,800 and $43,970.

  • $30K10th
  • $31K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $44K75th
  • $45K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$38,630$3,219$18.57
Median$37,230$3,102$17.90
Entry level (25th percentile)$30,800$2,567$14.81
Experienced (75th percentile)$43,970$3,664$21.14

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Dental Assistants salary after taxes in McAllen

On the average salary of $38,630, a single filer in McAllen takes home about $33,219 a year, or $2,768 a month and $1,278 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

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Is McAllen a good place for dental assistants? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the McAllen area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 85.9), so the average $38,630 buys what about $44,974 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in McAllen ($35,830). A typical home costs $193,978, or 5.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $38,630 is worth in another city

Dental Assistants salary in other Texas cities

McAllen ranks 25th of 25 Texas metro areas for this job; Austin pays the most ($51,440).

All Dental Assistants salaries in Texas

Highest-paying cities for dental assistants

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($71,150).

Dental Assistants salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Dental Assistants in McAllen, TX.

Dental Assistants salary in McAllen: questions

How much do dental assistants make an hour in McAllen?

$18.57 an hour on average, and $17.90 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level dental assistants salary in McAllen?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,960 a year and the 25th percentile is $30,800, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the dental assistants take-home pay in McAllen?

About $33,219 a year ($2,768 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,630. Texas has no state income tax.

Do dental assistants earn more in McAllen than elsewhere?

The average here is 24% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($50,500).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 31-9091; area McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX (32580). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.8%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.90, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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