Salary comparison
Dental Assistants: Rochester vs Salem
Rochester, MN pays about 7.2% more for dental assistants on paper — $63,450 vs $59,210. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Rochester comes out ahead by $4,240 a year in real buying power.
Rochester, MN
$63,450
$59,820
$72,700
$30.50
100
$63,450/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Salem, OR
$59,210
$57,810
$62,190
$28.47
100
$59,210/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $4,240 a year (7.2%) in favor of Rochester. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Rochester runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Salem sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Rochester is the better deal by $4,240 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Salem to Rochester for this role, the raise needs to beat 7.2% 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, Rochester or Salem?
Rochester pays $63,450 on median — about 7.2% more than Salem ($59,210). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Rochester. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Rochester gives you roughly$63,450 of real buying power versus $59,210 in the other city.