How much does a dental assistant make a year? Specifically in MI, if you know?

I'm currently attending a university, but it just isn't for me. Dental assisting is a short program, and I was wondering about how much they make a year. Since it is so short I'm also wanting to become a certified nurses aide, how much do they make a year, if anyone knows?

If I were you I would check your local papers and possibly a web site like Salary.com to get specific averages for your area.

Where I live, the average pay for a CNA is about $10-12 per/hr or $21,000 per/yr (one certification class required). A Dental Assistant can expect in the neighborhood of $12-15 per/hr $25,000 per/yr (If you are state certified; must go through program, longer than one class). While it could be true to earn more than those figures, they are the rarity.

Hope this helps you.

Good Luck.

I am a CNA and considered dental assisting. Both jobs only make around $10/hr. Though I would go with dental assisting if I were you cause CNA's do backbreaking work. I am in nursing school right now to be a LPN. It's only a year program, they make about $18/hr starting. Or consider dental hygiene, its a 2-yr program and they start at around $25/hr.