Pay in Portland, Oregon

My friend has been working as a dental assistant at a large practice for 10 years in Portland, Oregon. She is making $11.50 an hour and has not had a raise in 4 years. I have been trying to tell her that it is too low and she needs to leave. She is worried that she will not find anything else. Can anyone give me ideas on what the rate of pay would be for someone with that much experience in Oregon? She has worked in orthodontics, and pediatric dentistry.

Stephanie Browning in Portland, Oregon said: My friend has been working as a dental assistant at a large practice for 10 years in Portland, Oregon. She is making $11.50 an hour and has not had a raise in 4 years. I have been trying to tell her that it is too low and she needs to leave. She is worried that she will not find anything else. Can anyone give me ideas on what the rate of pay would be for someone with that much experience in Oregon? She has worked in orthodontics, and pediatric dentistry.

what practice does she work for? Since your friend is assistanting in a speciality, she should be paid more than 11.50 and with her experience as well. Most dentist in the Metro Portland area start their assistant at least 14-15 an hour and with a large company like Kaiser, the rate is about the same as well.

She works for Willamette Dental, I kind of thought that myself. I will make sure she knows this prior to her evaluation. Thank you!

Stephanie Browning in Portland, Oregon said: She works for Willamette Dental, I kind of thought that myself. I will make sure she knows this prior to her evaluation. Thank you!

is your friend certified? i am currently externing at willamette myself.

I am planning to relocate to Oregon in the next year. I have been the financial coordinator/office manager for a general practice and orthodontic specialty. What can I expect as a starting salary in the Portland market with 15+ years experience?

I have been working as an EFDA in PDX for 3+ yrs and I am making 22/hr!! She is WAY underpaid! She could easily find another job somewhere else starting at 17+/hr

I'm a dental assistant in Portland Oregon and am making 20$ an hour. I have been working in the field for quite a while but do know of others in the area who make close or the same.

Stephanie Browning in Portland, Oregon said: My friend has been working as a dental assistant at a large practice for 10 years in Portland, Oregon. She is making $11.50 an hour and has not had a raise in 4 years. I have been trying to tell her that it is too low and she needs to leave. She is worried that she will not find anything else. Can anyone give me ideas on what the rate of pay would be for someone with that much experience in Oregon? She has worked in orthodontics, and pediatric dentistry.

I'm a EFDA dental assistant in Portland Oregon; I have 1 year experience. I am working at a general dental office. I am making 13.5$ an hour. Is that underpaid???

Helen in Portland, Oregon said: I'm a EFDA dental assistant in Portland Oregon; I have 1 year experience. I am working at a general dental office. I am making 13.5$ an hour. Is that underpaid???

I think that's about right for have one year of experience. I make that much with less than 4 months. I just finished DA school and working at a large HMO dental office.

Nancy in Morgantown, West Virginia said: I am planning to relocate to Oregon in the next year. I have been the financial coordinator/office manager for a general practice and orthodontic specialty. What can I expect as a starting salary in the Portland market with 15+ years experience?

Was curious if anyone out there could shed some light on the typical wage for a Office/Manager or Financial Coordinator in a
Orthodontic Practice or General Practice. Am specifically interested in the Tualatin/Tigard area. Appreciate your input.

any one know the best approches for getting your foot in the door for a non-excperienced dental assistant.

working in General Dentistry for 10yrs. currently am at $22 per hour.

how much do assistants make in the orthodontic field?im in a specialty office now but would like to try something new

TA in Beaverton, Oregon said: working in General Dentistry for 10yrs. currently am at $22 per hour.

what company do you work for dear?? and, as just a dental assistant? Thanks hun!

Nice pay :)

I am wanting to be in the medical field, first it was nursing, but realized math was a doozy for me, and my lifestyle i just had no time to put forth to a tutor. However dental hygiene is two terms less than nursing where i am attending. I just hate algebra..and it hates me. The realization of how long it could take me to get into the program hit me just a week ago. So I decided I will apply for the dental assisting program this October, in hopes to complete that in the meantime. I will also try and complete my pre requisites for the hygienist route as well at pcc.

Thanks for any replies!

AnGeL in Sherwood, Oregon said: what company do you work for dear?? and, as just a dental assistant? Thanks hun!

Nice pay :)

I am wanting to be in the medical field, first it was nursing, but realized math was a doozy for me, and my lifestyle i just had no time to put forth to a tutor. However dental hygiene is two terms less than nursing where i am attending. I just hate algebra..and it hates me. The realization of how long it could take me to get into the program hit me just a week ago. So I decided I will apply for the dental assisting program this October, in hopes to complete that in the meantime. I will also try and complete my pre requisites for the hygienist route as well at pcc.

Thanks for any replies!

I just wanted to say good luck! I have a 4.00 and applied to Mt. Hood and PCC and I didn't get into Mt. Hood and I am still waiting to hear back from PCC. I also shadowed over 60 hours in different dental offices so I'm starting to think that you have to be an assistant or at least work in the field to get in.

Stephanie Browning in Portland, Oregon said: My friend has been working as a dental assistant at a large practice for 10 years in Portland, Oregon. She is making $11.50 an hour and has not had a raise in 4 years. I have been trying to tell her that it is too low and she needs to leave. She is worried that she will not find anything else. Can anyone give me ideas on what the rate of pay would be for someone with that much experience in Oregon? She has worked in orthodontics, and pediatric dentistry.

I work for a large company in Portland and make 19.01/hour, on-call, and with only 3 years experience! She needs to ask for a raise!

ann in Seattle, Washington said: is your friend certified? i am currently externing at willamette myself.

Do you get paid for externing?

No, you do not get paid. Externing means you are working for free depending how long your program requires you to do. You are putting your skills you learned from school on the job.

Thank you and with that said maybe you could enlighten me even further. I hear the term used "interning" at a dental office. What would be the difference then with internship and externship in a dental office?

Thanks again,
Sharon

I believe interning indicates you are being paid while externs are not. are you in the field of dentistry?

I was in the field of dentistry and became an Orthodontist Assistant at 18 and was trained and certified in what I would consider an unconventional way compared to this day and age. That was when I was 18 back 30 years ago. I changed careers for fun 10 years ago and love it even more (well at least as much) they are both great careers. However my 19yr old daughter wants to follow the dental assisting path, it truely is a great career and I support her completely. It's just that she has had some hurdles at the school she is in currently, and she hasn't even started the program. They seem unorganized a bit and it has my daughter off to a rocky start and concerned. In any case I just hope the cost etc. will pay off. As I mentioned I became OFDA without going through a full year program and was wondering if it's even worth the money for this 3 semester course costing nearly 7000. I got a trained hands on experience in the Ortho field but went to the State Dental Health Science School in which I lived at the time for Radiology certification and a community school for my other certifications (all evening classes) but worked during the day and made great money. Is this even an option any more or was I one of the fortunate ones. I just feel that the more education the better. My daughter agrees but thinks maybe saving the money and doing it non conventional might be to her advantage financially. Any advice is great.

Thank you,
Sharon

I'm planning to move to Oregon in a few months, and would like to know if i need to be certified to work in any dental office. I am a RDA in california, but do i need to be certified to work in Oregon? I have about five to six years, working as appointment & insurance coordinator, and a back assistant (floater). Any advice would be great.

Thanks,
Sandra

Anyone know if Concorde College of Dental Assisting is any good by LLoyd Center.

My daughter has decided to go there and I want to know if anyone here has heard anything good or bad about their credited program.

C Hatfield in Portland, Oregon said: Anyone know if Concorde College of Dental Assisting is any good by LLoyd Center.

My daughter has decided to go there and I want to know if anyone here has heard anything good or bad about their credited program.

I heard it was a great school, my sister went there and has a great paying job in a dental office ($16/hour to start) I'm about to start the dental hygienist program at a different trade school

Mags in Portland, Oregon said: I heard it was a great school, my sister went there and has a great paying job in a dental office ($16/hour to start) I'm about to start the dental hygienist program at a different trade school

=====

Thanks for the great update...can I ask why you've chosen another school if Concorde is so great?

C. Hatfield

C Hatfield in Portland, Oregon said: Anyone know if Concorde College of Dental Assisting is any good by LLoyd Center.

My daughter has decided to go there and I want to know if anyone here has heard anything good or bad about their credited program.

Well I don't know first hand (I'm going for Dental Hygiene and they don't have that there), but my friend went to Concorde for Dental Assisting and is now working as a dental assistant she said that Concorde was nice because she didn't have to take any pre-reqs and most community college schools make you take a few pre-reqs before you can get into the program, but she also said that it cost more than double what a community college costs for the same program - so i guess it depends on the money she is willing to spend.

I am looking for someone with front office experience, payroll, taxes, business registration, insurance etc, for working on saturdays in POrtland OR if interested please email your resume to excelsleepdentistry@gmail.com

I think that if you do decide to go to a trade school versus a community college, you will be paying more that you would at a community college. I believe that community college's provide a very strong clinical training, and are most likely will help to find you the right dental office to work for. Yes, you have to take pre-reqs, but it is good to know the basic's before actually going out to the work field. For example, learning how to write or to speak with others interpersonally.

I would suggest for individuals who want to become a dental assistant is to go through community college. I'm sure time maybe an issue for some individuals, but i think it's worth it. Always do your research!

drop the willamette dental and move to seattle (: no certification needed and 10+ years of experience gets paid well $21+ (:

I am working in PA as a dental assistant. I had 6 mo job experience before I got my job and I have been at my current job for about 6 months. I am making 10 an hour. I am x-ray cartified. Am I underpaid?

I will be finishing the Dental Assisting Course at the end of Oct'10. I am mostly interested in orthodontics, but my instructor strongly suggested that I get experience in general practice at least a year before going into any specialty. But in my inexperienced mind, I keep thinking that I should get in the door in Orthodontics sooner than later to get experiences.... Please someone give me an advice on this.

Also if I can't get a Extern in Ortho., my second choice will be Pediatric. I would appreciate any inside advices!

TO: JS @ DENVER,

I think your instructor is correct. A general office provides the basic fundamentals of dental assisting,because from working in an Orthodontist and a Pediatric office, the assistants or dentist never really had time to teach me what i needed to learn to be successful at the job. Ortho/pediatrics can be a VERY FAST PACE environment, and their are some dentist who do not have patience. Also, you want to be well rounded if you decide pedo or ortho is not for you later on. General practice is best way to practice your skills from what you learn in school. It is really difficultly to find an actually dentist who will take the time to teach you everything you need to know. That is the reason why i've decided to go back to general dentistry because i finally found a dentist that i connected with, as well as, willing to teach me everything. Now, i love my job!

The perks about going straight to Ortho, is that you will be very experience with working in the patient's mouth, because it takes a lot of practice to place in wires without hurting the patient lol!

good luck!

Thank you for the information. It is always so helpful hearing comments like this from someone in the field.

I am currently a Dental Assistant in California and am moving to Washington. I have been doing research online for the licenses up there. Washington has a lot more titles than California. I cannot understand what the difference is between a Washington RDA and EFDA? It looked like the same thing as far as allowable duties? Maybe I got bad info online. Can anyone shed light on this?

@rosevilleda,
I am also an RDA from california and just moved to OREGON 7 months ago. I had contacted the board of dentistry Oregon, and they had said that I only meet the oregon radiology proficency but not their "efda" proficency. Yes! They have similar duties as RDA, that is why I was initially confused. So, I'm assuming oregon and washington are similar in credentials. I've tried looking for jobs and they all require EFDA. So, my suggestion is to contact the board of dentistry of WA. It really sUcks because they really have similar duties.

@rosevilleda,
I am also an RDA from california and just moved to OREGON 7 months ago. I had contacted the board of dentistry Oregon, and they had said that I only meet the oregon radiology proficency but not their "efda" proficency. Yes! They have similar duties as RDA, that is why I was initially confused. So, I'm assuming oregon and washington are similar in credentials. I've tried looking for jobs and they all require EFDA. So, my suggestion is to contact the board of dentistry of WA. It really sUcks because they really have similar duties.

To Sanyip:
Isn't it confusing? That totally sucks! We're moving to either Vancouver, WA or Portland, OR haven't decided yet, they are both right on the borders of the state, so I don't even know which state i'm going to need a license in! I've talked to board members from both states and they just tell me to fill out the app, send a certified copy from Cali of my RDA license, pay a $40 fee and it will be fine. (except WA you have to take 7 hours AIDS education) So I am wondering why you got denied in Oregon and I got told a different story. Now Im worried I will get there and get denied too! Did you go to school to become an RDA, or did you go by work experience? Do you have sealant & coronal polish certificates? What did they tell you you have to do to become an EFDA in OR since they wouldn't transfer your license?

I moved to Oregon few weeks ago,before i used to live in wa. And all of the offices here requires EFDA. Did anybody got hired without it? Its crazy, because wa didnt reguired EFDA, but OR does. I cant fine the job :(

@ rosevilleda,

I went to school to become an RDA in 2004 and at that time sealant certificate was not part of the program. So, if you are currently certified with a sealant certificate and i think then you are able to get and EFDA license by your current credentials. That is probably why i was denied?? but either way i think that sealant is a separate license? The board did not tell me to do anything, but they had also mention the DANB exam or i have to be sponsored by a dentist.

@Olichka

Funny, I just had an interview on Monday with a dentist in portland, and she stated in her craigslist posting that she needed a second dental assistant part time. I assume that an EFDA is not required, but a certificate and an x-ray license. So, the interview went well and she contacted my former boss in California and he said great things about me but at the end she say's she needs someone with an EFDA license. Well it could also be the fact that i am 3 months pregnant and was honest with her, but i was still willing to do the job. So, it seems most jobs in Oregon require that license which will be hard for us registered dental assistants. I think possibly the only way we can actually get a job is apply for front office position in Oregon.

I've been here 7 months and still have yet to receive a phone call. So good luck!

I do have sealants certificate. Hopefully that will help. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

katie in Portland, Oregon said: I believe interning indicates you are being paid while externs are not. are you in the field of dentistry?

Intern is "you", and extern is "what your are doing."
so you say, I am an intern doing my externship at Kaiser..etc...

Shirley in Portland, Oregon said: Intern is "you", and extern is "what your are doing."
so you say, I am an intern doing my externship at Kaiser..etc...

Shirley, I am currently in school and wanting an externship with Kaiser, who I ultimately want to work for. I was told that they do not take interns. Can you give me some advice on how you scored that>

Also, in reference to all the RDA vs. EFDA chats, you do really need it in this area, but only if you want to get a job. I used to assist with just an x-ray license, but now the competition is steep and you need to have the EFDA so I am back in school. You only need the RDA in Washington, but you HAVE to have the EFDA in Oregon. They are more jobs in Oregon than there are here in Vancouver. Clark County has very high unemployment. As close at Portland and Vancouver are, they are two different worlds when it comes to certification. Someone mentioned the sealant cert. That is not going to help without the EFDA.

On the job training is a pathway to EFDA, but with the market the way it is, Doc's don't need to bother with people who are not fully certified.

Hello there:
Im currently register for Dental Assistant at Concorde Career College, and I have a couple fears. Im afraid of not finding a job after graduation. As probably you all have gone through my situation, I would like to know if is too hard to find job without any experience just the one earned at school and externship. (Im talkinf after being certified in X RAYS and EFDA)
PLs any advice helps!!Any tips in getting a job after grad will help me a lot!

Thanks in advance!

Lizz in Portland, Oregon said: Hello there:
Im currently register for Dental Assistant at Concorde Career College, and I have a couple fears. Im afraid of not finding a job after graduation. As probably you all have gone through my situation, I would like to know if is too hard to find job without any experience just the one earned at school and externship. (Im talkinf after being certified in X RAYS and EFDA)
PLs any advice helps!!Any tips in getting a job after grad will help me a lot!

Thanks in advance!

Hi, I know you posted this about a month ago, are you still looking for a job? I went to Concord about 4 years ago and have been working for the same dentist in Vancouver. This may not be something you'll want to do, but if your really desperate you can try to find a dentist who will let you volunteer. My dentist does, and he almost always hires the volunteer after a bit. Some he'll hire right away and others have had to volunteer for a while, depending on how fast the person learns,skills, etc.
Or you can try for part time or on call jobs that nobody wants, and that usually works into full time if you keep at it.

I was living in WA go trained on the job for DA in a pedo office, after 8 months I had to move to portland. So when I moved after I couldn't find a job for DA I decided to go to Concorde and now I am in Externship about to finish my hours to finish the program. I have 8 months experience and if I'm hired at a specialty, how much can I expect to get payed to start with? I am bilingual, they want to have me work up front and back ...

im looking to ask a couple questions to an dental assistant who is curently in hr field. i am training at Carrington college in Portland, OR. Formerly known as Apollp college.
How many jobs are avialable in this field?
How ma ny graduates have you hired from the above named school?
were they prepared to do the job?
is thi stype of training needed for a person to be hired to do this job?
is their a faster way of obtaining training or a job in this position?
would you recommend dental assisting training?
starting wage is?
average wage?
benefits include?
to whom answers these questions can u please put your company/organization name, your name and job title.

Sanyip in Wilsonville, Oregon said: @Olichka

Funny, I just had an interview on Monday with a dentist in portland, and she stated in her craigslist posting that she needed a second dental assistant part time. I assume that an EFDA is not required, but a certificate and an x-ray license. So, the interview went well and she contacted my former boss in California and he said great things about me but at the end she say's she needs someone with an EFDA license. Well it could also be the fact that i am 3 months pregnant and was honest with her, but i was still willing to do the job. So, it seems most jobs in Oregon require that license which will be hard for us registered dental assistants. I think possibly the only way we can actually get a job is apply for front office position in Oregon.

I've been here 7 months and still have yet to receive a phone call. So good luck!

Dont know if this will help all of you RDAs from california but here is how I got my EFDA when I moved here in 1996. I had to go through DANB. They told me that if I went to a accredited school for my dental assisting program in California then all I had to do was to take my radiology exam again for the state of oregon and if I passed then I would get my EFDA certif.. So I did and I did. Had to take a seperate sealant class-which was only one day,so now I have that also. Ive been working as an EFDA now in this state ever since. Things may have changed since then but that is how it was in 1996. Hope this may help someone. Its very hard when you move from another state and you cant seem to get any answers to help you move forward!

Stephanie Browning in Portland, Oregon said: My friend has been working as a dental assistant at a large practice for 10 years in Portland, Oregon. She is making $11.50 an hour and has not had a raise in 4 years. I have been trying to tell her that it is too low and she needs to leave. She is worried that she will not find anything else. Can anyone give me ideas on what the rate of pay would be for someone with that much experience in Oregon? She has worked in orthodontics, and pediatric dentistry.

My wife is a dental assistant and makes a little over $19 and she has been there for about 7 years. I hope this info helps

With 10 years of experience she should be making much more. In Oregon you need to be x- ray certified and (should) have an expanded functions credential to work. I was making 22$ an hour (with out the expanded function credential) along with receiving medical and retirement benifits when I left for another job last year. I think if she could find a smaller family practice she probably would have a better chance making a higher wage.