Dental assistants
SOC Code: 31-9091
Dental assistants carries a 46% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $47,300 and +6.4% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 381,900 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 46% AI exposure, Dental assistants sits 9 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 82% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
46/100
Dental assistants, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $47,300
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A +6.4%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 46% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Dental assistants in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Associate / award entry with a named growth shelf
Entry credential Associate / award covers 99 of 832 occupations; BLS places this one in Average (378/832). Mid-credential standing - thicker than graduate shelves, thinner than HS-dominated mass.
Where Dental assistants sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Dental assistants sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
46% Higher than most higher than 82% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Dental assistants vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Dental assistants is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Dental assistants's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 31-9091) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Dental assistants be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Dental assistants. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.
- 2. Record treatment information in patient records.
- 3. Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies.
- 4. Order and monitor dental supplies and equipment inventory.
- 5. Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.
- 6. Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.
- 7. Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs.
- 8. Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.
- 9. Apply protective coating of fluoride to teeth.
- 10. Schedule appointments, prepare bills and receive payment for dental services, complete insurance forms, and maintain records, manually or using computer.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Instructing
- Service Orientation
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Sales and Marketing
- Production and Processing
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Psychology
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Dental assistants?
Dental assistants has an AI exposure score of 46%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Dental assistants?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Dental assistants is projected to grow by 6.4% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 381,900 workers.
What skills are needed for Dental assistants?
Key skills for Dental assistants include Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and others. Typical entry-level education is Postsecondary nondegree award.
How much do Dental assistants earn?
The median annual wage for Dental assistants is $47,300, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Dental assistants?
The typical entry-level education for Dental assistants is Postsecondary nondegree award. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Dental assistants?
Dental assistants roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Dental assistants: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (46% here).
- Administrative services managers · AI exposure 46%
- Conservation scientists · AI exposure 46%
- Economists · AI exposure 46%
- Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians · AI exposure 46%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+6.4% here).
- Cartographers and photogrammetrists · growth +6.4%
- Coaches and scouts · growth +6.4%
- Dermatologists · growth +6.4%
- Food preparation and serving related workers, all other · growth +6.4%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
What to do with this
Use Dental assistants' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Dental assistants side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).