Salary comparison
Dental Assistants: Minneapolis vs Santa Rosa
Minneapolis, MN pays about 19.4% more for dental assistants on paper — $72,370 vs $60,590. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Minneapolis comes out ahead by $11,780 a year in real buying power.
Minneapolis, MN
$72,370
$63,050
$75,560
$34.79
100
$72,370/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Rosa, CA
$60,590
$58,050
$66,640
$29.13
100
$60,590/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $11,780 a year (19.4%) in favor of Minneapolis. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Minneapolis runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Rosa sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Minneapolis is the better deal by $11,780 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Rosa to Minneapolis for this role, the raise needs to beat 19.4% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do dental assistants earn more, Minneapolis or Santa Rosa?
Minneapolis pays $72,370 on median — about 19.4% more than Santa Rosa ($60,590). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Minneapolis. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Minneapolis gives you roughly$72,370 of real buying power versus $60,590 in the other city.