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Dental Assistant salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a dental assistant is $63,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,400 since 2018.
- Private practices, specialist clinics and public dental services each pay differently, and specialist clinics usually sit higher.
- Because part-time and casual work is common, check whether a salary you're offered is based on full-time hours and whether a casual loading is already built in.
- Ask, too, which award or enterprise agreement covers the practice and whether a Certificate III or IV changes your rate.
The median salary rose by $13,400 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than dental assistant
The largest typical pay rise is $23,100 a year, moving into Practice Manager.
- Practice Manager+$23,100/yr
- Dental Hygienist+$22,800/yr
- Dental Therapist+$20,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher dental assistant salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time dental assistant salary is $63,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Patient care and support and Infection control and hygiene tend to command a premium over general dental assistant experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Practice Manager pays a typical $23,100 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Dental Assistant salary questions
How much do dental assistants earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a dental assistant is $63,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is dental assistant pay rising or falling?
The median dental assistant salary is up $13,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than dental assistant?
Practice Manager pays a typical $23,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to dental assistant.
Related salaries
- Medical Receptionist salary
- Dental Technician salary
- Dental Hygienist salary
- Dental Therapist salary
- Practice Manager salary
- Receptionist salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.