How to Become a Dental Assistant in San Francisco

Located in Northern California, San Francisco is the fourth highest populated city in the state. It is known for often being foggy and for the Golden Gate Bridge and the Alamo Square neighborhood. This area is also considered the commercial, cultural and financial hub of California, making it a prime location to start a career.

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If you live in or are relocating to San Francisco and are interested in a career in healthcare that doesn’t require a lot of training, consider becoming a dental assistant. Dental assistants help dentists with oral procedures, take X-rays, keep records and perform other administrative duties. Specific requirements for becoming a dental assistant differ in each state. Read the requirements for California here.

San Francisco Schools for Dental Assistants

Some states and employers will require that dental assistants to be certified. To become certified, you will need to complete a post-secondary dental assistant training program prior to taking the certification exam.

San Francisco has one dental assistant training program located within the city, at the City College of San Francisco. This certificate program can be completed in either two or four semesters. Students will complete an internship in a local dental office the final semester before graduation. City college is located less than 10 miles from several San Francisco attractions, including the San Francisco Zoo, Mission Dolores Park, California Academy of Sciences and the de Young Museum.

The College of Alameda in Alameda is 12.5 miles from San Francisco and offers a dental assisting certificate program that can be completed in two semesters. Lectures and labs are taught in a classroom setting, and clinical experience is earned in private dental offices and the University of California dental clinic.

East of San Francisco, is the Dental Assistant School of San Pablo and Vacaville.

Career Outlook and Salary Expectations

There are approximately 6,780 dental assistants serving the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward area. The number of dental assistants working in the state of California is expected to increase by 16.5 by the year 2026. Dental assistants in the San Francisco area make an average of $22.42 hourly and $46,620 annually. More experienced dental assistants can earn as much as $64,050 annually.

Working as a Dental Assistant in San Francisco

The high population of the San Francisco makes it an ideal place to work. The large population does make for heavy traffic, so many people in the area choose public transportation. Depending on where you live, you may even be able to walk or ride a bicycle to work. In just one year, you can complete a training program and be ready to start work as an entry-level dental assistant in San Francisco.