Side-by-side distribution
Dentist
$246,250
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 58%
- Live roles
- 490
Medical Assistant
$24.59/hr
per hour · USD
- Disclosing
- 52.9%
- Live roles
- 7,168
Highest-paying jobs
Dentist
General Dentist
General Dentist
Pediatric Dentist
General Dentist
General Dentist
General Dentist
General Dentist
Dentist – DDS / DMD
Dentist – DDS / DMD
Highest-paying jobs
Faculty Physician - Medical Dermatologist (Assistant or Associate Professor – Academic or Master Clinician Track)
Faculty Physician - Medical Dermatologist (Assistant or Associate Professor – Academic or Master Clinician Track) Wyoming, MN
Faculty Physician - Medical Dermatologist (Assistant or Associate Professor – Academic or Master Clinician Track) Elk River, MN
Faculty Physician - Medical Dermatologist (Assistant or Associate Professor – Academic or Master Clinician Track) Cottage Grove, MN
Assistant Medical Director- Behavioral Health Focus (.5 Part Time)
Assistant Medical Director - Utilization Review
Assistant Medical Director (CBHC LAWRENCE, MA)
Assistant Dean Undergraduate Medical Education
Faculty Physician - Ophthalmology (Medical and/or Surgical Retina) Assistant Professor
Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant (CAA/AA) - Aurora Medical Center Summit | Oconomowoc, WI
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Aspen Dental
|
$250,000 | 181 |
Guardian Dentistry Partners
|
$229,250 | 28 |
|
Elite Dental Partners
|
$270,000 | 17 |
|
Dental365
|
$325,000 | 8 |
Enable Dental
|
$273,000 | 7 |
Tend
|
$300,000 | 6 |
| SD SGA Dental Partners | $8,750 | 6 |
AltaMed
|
$186,243 | 5 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Advocate Health
|
$56,836 | 429 |
| AD AdventHealth | $46,727 | 205 |
CenterWell
|
$49,600 | 181 |
| BI Beth Israel Lahey Health | $51,230 | 144 |
Marathon Health
|
$47,840 | 141 |
Sutter Health
|
$80,018 | 131 |
| MG Mass General Brigham | $49,598 | 109 |
Sanford Health
|
$47,320 | 108 |
Medical Assistant salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $84,011 | 32 |
| Seattle | $69,000 | 13 |
| Berlin | $59,540 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | $58,812 | 9 |
| Chicago | $58,448 | 39 |
| Boston | $49,598 | 50 |
| Denver | $49,150 | 32 |
| Atlanta | $48,880 | 3 |
| Austin | $47,840 | 9 |
| New York | $46,956 | 45 |
Dentist vs Medical Assistant: which pays more?
The median for Dentist is $246,250 per year (typically $200,700–$280,000), versus $24.59/hr for Medical Assistant ($22.71/hr–$27.33/hr). That puts Dentist about 381% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Dentist and Medical Assistant are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.