How much do dental assistants make in Canada?
What can a dental assistant earn in Canada? You will find very different numbers depending on where you look.
This guide sets government data next to what employers are advertising, and explains why they differ.
Short answer
Job Bank puts the median wage for dental assistants in Canada at $27.00 an hour, with $21.00 at the low end and $35.00 at the high end, for 2023 to 2024. The figures also cover dental laboratory assistants.
Statistics Canada's job vacancy survey measures something different: the average wage employers offered on open positions, which was $27.80 an hour in the second quarter of 2026.
Provincial medians run from $22.00 in Newfoundland and Labrador to $32.00 in Alberta.
What Job Bank says dental assistants earn
Job Bank, the Government of Canada's job site, publishes wages for each occupation. For dental assistants in Canada it lists $21.00 an hour at the low end, $27.00 at the median and $35.00 at the high end for 2023 to 2024.
Those numbers come mostly from Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey (Job Bank notes that Quebec's figure comes from Employment Insurance survey data) and were last updated on November 19, 2025. The provincial medians:
| Province | Median per hour |
|---|---|
| Alberta | $32.00 |
| British Columbia | $31.00 |
| Saskatchewan | $30.00 |
| Manitoba | $26.50 |
| Ontario | $26.00 |
| Quebec | $26.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $25.00 |
| New Brunswick | $25.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | $24.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $22.00 |
The gap between the highest and lowest provincial medians is $10.00 an hour. Job Bank also reports that 72.3% of workers in this occupation get at least one type of non-wage benefit.
What employers are offering now
Statistics Canada tracks the wages employers offer on vacant positions. In the second quarter of 2026 the average offered hourly wage for dental assistants was $27.80, down $0.40 from $28.20 a year earlier. There were 1,460 vacancies in the occupation that quarter and 1,465 a year before. Statistics Canada grades the national wage A and the vacancy count C, so treat the vacancy numbers as approximate.
By province, for the same quarter, these are the offered wages Statistics Canada grades A or B:
| Province | Average offered per hour |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | $30.85 |
| Alberta | $28.75 |
| Quebec | $27.20 |
| Ontario | $25.85 |
| Manitoba | $25.65 |
| Nova Scotia | $25.50 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $25.40 |
Why the two sets of numbers don't match
- Job Bank gives a median from the Labour Force Survey. Statistics Canada gives an average of the wages employers offered on vacant positions.
- When the pay on an open position is a range, the respondent reports the lowest value in it, so offered wages lean low.
- The periods differ: 2023 to 2024 for Job Bank, April to June 2026 for Statistics Canada.
- Both cover the occupation group dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants (NOC 33100), and Job Bank's figures apply to all workers in it, not only new graduates.
Treat the figures as ranges, not promises. Pay depends on province, experience and employer.
Check the sources below for the latest numbers before you plan around them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average dental assistant salary in Canada per hour?
Job Bank's median is $27.00 an hour for 2023 to 2024. Statistics Canada's average offered wage was $27.80 an hour in the second quarter of 2026. Both cover dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants, and they measure different things, so they aren't directly comparable.
Which province pays dental assistants the most?
On Job Bank's medians, Alberta at $32.00 an hour, then British Columbia at $31.00. Among the provinces Statistics Canada grades A or B for offered wages in the second quarter of 2026, British Columbia is highest at $30.85, then Alberta at $28.75.
Do dental assistants get benefits?
Job Bank reports that 72.3% of workers in this occupation in Canada receive at least one type of non-wage benefit.
Sources
- Job Bank: Wages for dental assistants (Canada)These wages were updated on November 19, 2025Checked October 18, 2026
- Job Bank: Summary for dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants (Canada)applicable to all Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants (NOC 33100)Checked October 18, 2026
- Statistics Canada: Job vacancies, payroll employees, job vacancy rate, and average offered hourly wage (Table 14-10-0444-01)The average offered hourly wage is the average hourly wage offered by employers for vacant positionsChecked October 18, 2026