Australian Education Pathways

Dental Assistants

VET / TAFE Strong growth · ANZSCO skill level 4 · occupation 4232

Dental Assistants prepare patients for dental examination and assist Dental Practitioners, Hygienists and Therapists in providing care and treatment.

People employed27,300
Median pay$1,211per week, full-time
Projected growth+14.5%over 5 years (to 2030)
Recent growth-5.9%per year
Median age30
Female share92%

How do you get there?

Highest qualification held by people in this job: 15.6% university · 48.8% vet / tafe · 26.1% school / entry (ABS Census via JSA).

Usually studied as Dental Studies. A selection of providers offering courses in this field (indicative, not ranked):

Course & field-of-education data © Commonwealth of Australia (CRICOS), CC BY 2.5 AU. Matched by field of education — indicative; confirm entry requirements with each provider.

Where these jobs are

NSW 29.2% · VIC 25% · QLD 23% · WA 10.7% · SA 6.8% · TAS 2.2% · ACT 2.2% · NT 0.8%

Top industries

Health Care and Social Assistance.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia — Occupation profiles (Feb 2026) + Employment Projections (May 2025–2035). © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0. Figures are national estimates.