Best Dental Assistant Schools in New York – 2023
Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
In New York State, dental assistants are permitted to perform a number of tasks so long as a licensed dentist has authorized them to do so and remains on-premise while those tasks are being performed. Tasks may include procedures like taking dental impressions, removing cement from caps and applying topical solutions to teeth. A dental assistant training program in the Empire State will help you gain skills that can command a good salary and provide opportunities for career advancement. Sound exciting? We’ve assembled this list of the best dental assistant schools in New York to help you get started.
Things to Keep in Mind Before Enrolling into a Dental Assistant School in the State of NY
Dental assistant school is an investment. Before you enroll, you’ll need to do some serious thinking about the type of career trajectory you envision for yourself. A certificate/diploma dental assistant program in NY will qualify you for most entry-level jobs. You’ll take courses in subjects like dental pharmacology and dental materials. Chances are you’ll also take some basic office administration classes since many dental assistants double as dental office managers.
If you opt for a two-year associate degree, your first year is likely to be devoted to science classes such as oral anatomy, physiology, and biology. In your second year, you’ll start taking classes that will reinforce the technical skills you’ll be using on the job.
Dental Assistant Program Length & Cost in New York
Community colleges and technical colleges offer dental assistant training in New York. If you opt for a certificate/diploma program, you’ll be in school between 6 and 15 months, and you’ll spend between $2,170 and $41,830. Acquiring a two-year associate degree will require you to spend between $8,550 and $52,290 at a school in The Empire State.
| Type of Program | Length | Cost |
| Certificate / Diploma | 6 – 15 Months | $2,170 - $41,830 |
| Associate Degree | 2 Years | $8,550 - $52,290 |
WHAT ARE THE BEST DENTAL ASSISTANT PROGRAMS IN NEW YORK?
(Based on our Ranking Methodology, below are the 9 best dental assistant programs in New York. The list includes both campus-based and online programs.)
1. New York School for Medical and Dental Assistants, Long Island City
2. Monroe Community College, Rochester
3. St Paul's School of Nursing, Staten Island
4. Westchester School for Dental Assistant, Elmsford
5. Hudson Valley Community College, Troy
6. Erie Community College, Buffalo
7. Monroe 2 Orleans BOCES-Center for Workforce Development, Rochester
8. Mandl School-The College of Allied Health, New York
9. Center for Instruction Technology & Innovation (CiTi), Mexico
Dental Assistant Career Information For New York - 2023
How Many Dental Assistants are Currently Employed in NY?
| 19,040 |
Where are Dental Assistants Currently Working in New York?
In the Empire State, dental assistants must work under a dentist’s direct supervision, so 17,400 members of this profession are affiliated with dentistry practices. Specific responsibilities are likely to vary according to those practices’ sizes and specializations. In a one-dentist general dentistry practice, for example, you’re likely to do a little of everything whereas, in an endodontics practice, your primary responsibility may be sterilizing and ordering equipment. Most of the 340 dental assistants in New York employed by federal, state and county governments work in community clinics that provide dentistry to underserved patients. The remaining 340 dental assistants are associated with physicians’ offices and hospitals.
| Industry | Number of Dental Assistants |
| Offices of Dentists | 17,400 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 340 |
| Offices of Physicians | 340 |
What is the Average Salary of a Dental Assistant in New York?
The average dental assistant salary in New York is $47,880. If you work more than 36 hours a week, your salary is likely to be supplemented with a benefits package. Benefits vary by employer, but most benefit packages include health care insurance and paid time off.
| Type | Salary |
| Hourly | $23.02 |
| Monthly | $3,990 |
| Annual | $47,880 |
| (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) | |
Salary Based on Years of Experience
| Years of Experience | Hourly | Monthly | Annual |
| Less than 1 year (Starting) | $17.25 | $2,990 | $35,870 |
| 1-4 years | $18.13 | $3,140 | $37,710 |
| 5-9 years | $22.25 | $3,860 | $46,280 |
| 10-19 years | $27.72 | $4,810 | $57,660 |
| 20 years or more | $29.33 | $5,080 | $61,000 |
| (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) | |||
Dental Assistant Average Salary Comparison: New York vs. National
The salary of a dental assistant working in The Empire State is commensurate with the national average. Looking good is important for professionals who live in metropolises like New York City, Albany and Rochester, and healthy teeth are an important part of an attractive appearance. New Yorkers who live in the state’s larger cities are willing to absorb the out-of-pocket costs involved in visiting a dentist regularly.
| New York | National | Difference | |
| Number | % | ||
| $47,880 | $44,710 | +$3,170 | +7.09% |
| (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) | |||
Job Outlook
Economists predict that the number of dental assistants in the Empire State will increase by more than 19.25% percent by the year 2030. Currently, New York is experiencing a dentist shortage particularly in its inner cities and rural areas. As that demand is met, dentists will need experienced professionals to staff their practices. Additionally, New York’s overall population is aging rapidly, and Baby Boomers want to keep their natural teeth as long as possible, which translates into a more intensive need for dentistry services.
| Employment | Employment Growth (2020-2030) | ||
| 2020 | 2030 | Number | Percent |
| 17,710 | 21,120 | +3,410 | +19.25% |
| (Source: careeronestop) | |||
Annual Job Openings
| New | Replacement | Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement) | |
| 341 | 2,249 | 2,590 | |
| (Source: careeronestop) | |||
Metro Wise Employment & Salary Data
New York City is the most populous city in the state, and 20,750 of the state’s dental assistants work there. How does that Frank Sinatra song about New York City go? If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere—and making it in New York relies a lot upon looking good. You can’t look good if your teeth aren’t in great shape. Dental assistants in the Big Apple also earn slightly more than the national average. Dental assistant salaries in the state capital of Albany are on a par with those in New York City.
The far smaller and less populated upstate cities of Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse claim the next highest concentration of dental assistants, and salaries are significantly lower than they are in the Big Apple. Salaries are lowest in the Southern Tier cities of Binghamton and Elmira, which are still struggling to shake loose from the 2008 depression.
| Metro | Employment | Average Salary | ||
| Hourly | Monthly | Annual | ||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | 20,750 | $23.35 | $4,050 | $48,570 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls | 1,100 | $20.14 | $3,490 | $41,890 |
| Rochester | 1,000 | $21.99 | $3,810 | $45,740 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | 900 | $22.39 | $3,880 | $46,580 |
| Syracuse | 780 | $20.23 | $3,510 | $42,070 |
| Binghamton | 240 | $18.82 | $3,260 | $39,140 |
| Utica-Rome | 220 | $20.28 | $3,520 | $42,190 |
| Glens Falls | 120 | $20.16 | $3,500 | $41,940 |
| Kingston | 120 | $21.63 | $3,750 | $44,980 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum | 110 | $19.51 | $3,380 | $40,580 |
| Elmira | 90 | $19.55 | $3,390 | $40,670 |
| Ithaca | 90 | $22.71 | $3,940 | $47,240 |
| (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) | ||||
Useful Dental Assistant Organizations & Associations in New York
New York Dental Assistants Association (NYDAA)
The New York Dental Assistants Association maintains a job board and offers numerous networking opportunities.
Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH Pattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. After 10 years of providing direct care, she went back to school and earned concurrent Master’s degrees in both public policy and public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, she worked for various public health agencies in California at both the community and state levels providing economic and legislative analysis.
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