4 Ways To Increase Your Dental Assistant Earnings Potential

After completing at least two years of dental assistant education, you presumably already started working as an assistant after your dental assistant internship, either because you were absorbed by the dental clinic where you interned or were able to find a job on your own. Whatever the scenario, he's probably thinking of ways to increase his earning capacity. Check out here more about this article.

Increase your earning potential

You can still increase your earning potential by following these tips:

Get certified. Some assistants don't even consider becoming certified thinking that they can still find employment even without certification. Although this is true in terms of salary, non-certified assistants are paid $2-$3 less than certified professionals. Also, it is important to note that some states prefer to hire certified dental assistants over non-certified assistants. Even if you show that you are effective on the job, it will still be difficult for you to transfer to other dental care assistant job opportunities if the state requires licensing and certification before practicing the profession.

Additionally, certification adds credibility to your experience as a dental assistant, further ensuring that you are highly qualified to practice as one.

Earn your experience points. If you're just starting out on the job, don't expect to be paid an average of around $18 an hour right away. The most you can get is $8 to $9 per hour if you are just starting out and up to $15 per hour if you have gained at least a year or two of clinical experience. However, as you become more familiar with the job and with years of practice under your belt, your salary will increase by up to 25% of your starting salary.

Consider working in states with high wages. Where you practice your profession determines the amount of salary you will receive. Since not all states pay a standard rate, you may want to consider moving to states like Columbia, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Alaska, where dental assistant salaries range from $41,000 to $47,000 on average per year. On the other hand, states like Arkansas, Utah, and Alabama are among the states that pay the least for attendees.

Before making the decision to move to another state, first study the cost of living in the area because, although you could move to a state with high wages, your expenses could be higher than where you currently live. In the end, you could still end up on a low salary.

Work toward higher education credentials as an assistant and then major. Compared to someone who completed a dental assisting vocational course, 2-year dental assisting graduates would have more employment opportunities. Therefore, progress through a degree course to open up more career options for you. Consider further education in specialized dental assisting programs, such as orthodontics or periodontal assisting, because having specializations instead of working as a general dental assistant offers much higher salary potential.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the market for dental health professionals is huge, with a projected need for more than 100,000 dental assistants in the next few years. Take the opportunity now and be among the first to reap the rewards of becoming a dental assistant.