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Dental Assisting Schools in Florida
49 schools in Florida offer dental assisting-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 4 registered apprenticeship programs in Florida train dental assisting apprentices — see apprenticeships.
Occupation pay is what working dental assisting professionals in Florida earn (all experience levels) — school "earnings" figures above are medians for each school's recent federally-aided students across all its programs, which read lower.
Dental Assisting licensing in Florida: No license required
Florida does not license dental assistants for basic chairside work, but taking x-rays requires a Dental Radiographer certification from the Florida Board of Dentistry — earned either through a board-approved dental assisting program or via 3 months of on-the-job training under a Florida dentist plus a board-approved radiology course, with a $35 application and fingerprinting. Expanded functions such as placing sealants require completing a Florida board-approved EFDA training course; the national DANB CDA alone has not counted for this since 2009. You must be at least 18 to take radiographs on patients.
Official source: Florida Board of Dentistry (Florida Department of Health) · Exam: No separate state exam — course completion plus application to the Florida DOH; EFDA duties require completing a Board-approved formal training program · Typical requirement: Age 18+. Either graduate from a Board-approved dental assisting program, OR complete at least 3 months of continuous on-the-job radiography training under a Florida-licensed dentist plus a Board-approved radiology course within 12 months; $35 application fee; electronic fingerprinting (required since 2024, HB 975). Expanded functions require a separate Florida Board-approved EFDA training program (DANB CDA alone has not qualified since May 2009).
Official license records related to dental assisting in Florida
From the U.S. Department of Labor's License Finder — these may include contractor, specialty, or related licenses beyond entry-level requirements:
- Dental Hygienist — FL Department of Health~Division of Medical Quality Assurance
- Physician Assistant — FL Department of Health~Division of Medical Quality Assurance
- Barber Assistant — FL Dept. of Business and Professional Regulation~Division of Professions
- Anesthesiologist Assistant — FL Department of Health~Division of Medical Quality Assurance
- Certified Nursing Assistant — FL Department of Health~Division of Medical Quality Assurance
- Registered Chiropractic Assistant — FL Department of Health~Division of Medical Quality Assurance
Wage and license data provided by CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and Minnesota DEED.
Schools, ranked by earnings per tuition dollar
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Petersburg College | St. Petersburg | public | $1,471 | 37.8% | $42,557 |
| Cape Coral Technical College | Cape Coral | public | $1,463 | 84.8% | $36,080 |
| Manatee Technical College | Bradenton | public | $1,808 | 71.7% | $38,129 |
| Erwin Technical College | Tampa | public | $2,796 | 79.8% | $37,966 |
| Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College | Miami Lakes | public | $2,839 | 5.8% | $35,014 |
| Hillsborough College | Tampa | public | $3,861 | 34.1% | $40,782 |
| South Florida State College | Avon Park | public | $3,877 | 49.8% | $39,990 |
| Florida State College at Jacksonville | Jacksonville | public | $4,128 | 38.5% | $42,244 |
| Indian River State College | Fort Pierce | public | $3,815 | 44.3% | $38,315 |
| Pensacola State College | Pensacola | public | $3,957 | 36.9% | $36,739 |
| Northwest Florida State College | Niceville | public | $4,571 | 37.9% | $39,664 |
| Gulf Coast State College | Panama City | public | $4,709 | 38.6% | $38,359 |
| Pasco-Hernando State College | New Port Richey | public | $5,203 | 37.2% | $39,903 |
| Miami Dade College | Miami | public | $5,463 | 41.2% | $40,654 |
| Osceola Technical College | Kissimmee | public | $6,186 | 49.6% | $38,484 |
| Charlotte Technical College | Port Charlotte | public | $5,874 | 58.7% | $36,349 |
| Florida SouthWestern State College | Fort Myers | public | $7,247 | 36.1% | $43,421 |
| Eastern Florida State College | Melbourne | public | $6,440 | 46.4% | $37,195 |
| Lindsey Hopkins Technical College | Miami | public | $6,243 | 51.6% | $34,107 |
| Daytona State College | Daytona Beach | public | $7,177 | 41.6% | $37,096 |
| Lorenzo Walker Technical College | Naples | public | $7,283 | 99% | $36,853 |
| Tallahassee State College | Tallahassee | public | $7,781 | 40.5% | $37,561 |
| Palm Beach State College | Lake Worth | public | $9,182 | 38.1% | $41,923 |
| Santa Fe College | Gainesville | public | $11,098 | 43.9% | $41,631 |
| Atlantic Technical College | Coconut Creek | public | $10,414 | 60.3% | $38,560 |
| First Coast Technical College | Saint Augustine | public | $9,577 | 76.7% | $33,784 |
| William T McFatter Technical College | Davie | public | $11,901 | 63.8% | $41,656 |
| Orange Technical College | Orlando | public | $10,525 | 71.2% | $36,650 |
| Valencia College | Orlando | public | $12,037 | 44.9% | $40,594 |
| College of Central Florida | Ocala | public | $12,088 | 46% | $38,203 |
| Robert Morgan Educational Center and Technical College | Miami | public | $12,776 | 24% | $37,543 |
| Broward College | Fort Lauderdale | public | $14,506 | 34.1% | $41,939 |
| Praxis Institute | Miami | private for-profit | $8,785 | 79.2% | $22,300 |
| State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota | Bradenton | public | $22,356 | 35.2% | $40,318 |
| Pinellas Technical College-St. Petersburg | Saint Petersburg | public | $23,620 | 56.3% | $36,188 |
| Florida National University-Main Campus | Hialeah | private for-profit | $23,043 | 41.9% | $33,928 |
| Ultimate Medical Academy | Clearwater | private nonprofit | $20,457 | 61.5% | $29,194 |
| Concorde Career Institute-Tampa | Tampa | private for-profit | $26,077 | 72.6% | $36,288 |
| Concorde Career Institute-Jacksonville | Jacksonville | private for-profit | $24,917 | 71.3% | $34,098 |
| Fortis Institute-Port Saint Lucie | Port Saint Lucie | private for-profit | $24,615 | 57.6% | $32,886 |
| Concorde Career Institute-Miramar | Miramar | private for-profit | $27,673 | 72.5% | $35,442 |
| ATA Career Education | Spring Hill | private for-profit | $28,250 | 50.2% | $34,577 |
| Fortis College-Orange Park | Orange Park | private for-profit | $24,205 | 56.6% | $28,506 |
| Meridian College | Sarasota | private for-profit | $29,812 | 75.6% | $33,735 |
| Fortis Institute-Pensacola | Pensacola | private for-profit | $27,867 | 54.5% | $26,652 |
| Concorde Career Institute-Orlando | Orlando | private for-profit | $37,435 | 74.1% | $34,098 |
| Compu-Med Vocational Careers Corp | Hialeah | private for-profit | $49,299 | 53.8% | $22,226 |
| Traviss Technical College | Lakeland | public | not reported | 85.8% | $39,813 |
| Prestige Health & Beauty Sciences Academy | Hallandale Beach | private for-profit | $24,015 | 92.9% | not reported |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Figures are institution-wide federal medians for each school as a whole — not dental assisting graduates specifically. Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
Common questions: Dental Assisting school in Florida
- How much do Dental Assisting schools cost in Florida?
- The median annual net price (what students actually pay after aid) across 49 dental assisting schools in Florida is $9,380. Individual schools range widely — the table above shows each school's real cost, not sticker price.
- Do you need a license to work as a dental assisting in Florida?
- Florida does not license dental assistants for basic chairside work, but taking x-rays requires a Dental Radiographer certification from the Florida Board of Dentistry — earned either through a board-approved dental assisting program or via 3 months of on-the-job training under a Florida dentist plus a board-approved radiology course, with a $35 application and fingerprinting. Expanded functions such as placing sealants require completing a Florida board-approved EFDA training course; the national DANB CDA alone has not counted for this since 2009. You must be at least 18 to take radiographs on patients.
- Can you get paid to train as a dental assisting in Florida?
- Yes — Florida has 4 registered apprenticeship programs where you earn wages while you train instead of paying tuition. See the dental assisting apprenticeships page for the current list.
- What does a dental assisting earn in Florida?
- Working dental assisting professionals in Florida earn a median of $47,620 per year, ranging from about $37,800 to $58,880 (U.S. Department of Labor). This is what people in the job earn, which differs from a school's reported graduate-earnings figure.
Aid deadlines for dental assisting programs in Florida
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Dental Assisting schools in nearby states
- Dental Assisting schools in Delaware
- Dental Assisting schools in Alabama
- Dental Assisting schools in Alaska
- Dental Assisting schools in Arizona
- Dental Assisting schools in Arkansas
- Dental Assisting schools in California
- Dental Assisting schools in Colorado
- Dental Assisting schools in Connecticut
See all states & the full dental assisting guide →