Dental Assisting
Dental Assisting Institute · Modesto, CA
- Cost
- $7,695
- Length
- 12 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- 72%
Program names and program descriptions appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Occupation titles are translated where O*NET publishes a Spanish name. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 245
- Finished the program
- 100%Based on 242 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Working 6 months later
- 72%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $8,160A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
Where California publishes a separate figure for Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
Medical and Health Services Managers
Job ads may call this: Nurse Manager · Nursing Director · Clinical Director · Cancer Center Director
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Direct, supervise and evaluate work activities of medical, nursing, technical, clerical, service, maintenance, and other personnel.
- Develop and maintain computerized record management systems to store and process data, such as personnel activities and information, and to produce reports.
- Plan, implement, and administer programs and services in a health care or medical facility, including personnel administration, training, and coordination of medical, nursing and physical plant staff.
- Maintain awareness of advances in medicine, computerized diagnostic and treatment equipment, data processing technology, government regulations, health insurance changes, and financing options.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Conduct and administer fiscal operations, including accounting, planning budgets, authorizing expenditures, establishing rates for services, and coordinating financial reporting.
- Establish work schedules and assignments for staff, according to workload, space, and equipment availability.
- Monitor the use of diagnostic services, inpatient beds, facilities, and staff to ensure effective use of resources and assess the need for additional staff, equipment, and services.
- Manage change in integrated health care delivery systems, such as work restructuring, technological innovations, and shifts in the focus of care.
What this pays in Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $66,680 | $141,281 | $227,585 |
| Across California | $74,021 | $143,854 | $279,268 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $143,854per yearModesto MSA: $107,833
- Projected openings
- 90,810Modesto MSA: 920
- Projected change
- +34.9%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- Under 5 years in a related job
- Training after you are hired
- None
Employers usually expect some time in a related job as well as the training. Ask the provider what their graduates did before they were hired.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Lecturer · Professor · Instructor · Clinical Professor
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Supervise laboratory sessions.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as public health, stress management, and work site health promotion.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Typical pay in California
- $169,732per year
- Projected openings
- 20,800
- Projected change
- +19.2%
- Usually needs
- Doctoral or professional degree
California publishes no separate figure for this job in Modesto MSA. The statewide figures above are the only ones there are.
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- Under 5 years in a related job
- Training after you are hired
- None
Employers usually expect some time in a related job as well as the training. Ask the provider what their graduates did before they were hired.
Dental Assistants
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Dental Assistant (DA) · Oral Surgery Assistant · Expanded Dental Assistant · Surgical Dental Assistant
- Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.
- Record treatment information in patient records.
- Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies.
- Order and monitor dental supplies and equipment inventory.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.
- Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.
- Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs.
- Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.
What this pays in Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $39,373 | $51,441 | $64,042 |
| Across California | $39,773 | $51,379 | $75,567 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $51,379per yearModesto MSA: $48,768
- Projected openings
- 81,180Modesto MSA: 1,330
- Projected change
- +10%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary non-degree award
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
A program that prepares individuals to provide patient care, take dental radiographs (x-ray photographs), prepare patients and equipment for dental procedures, and discharge office administrative functions.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-09-18). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
Ask before you enroll, not after
The order the rules set out starts at the center rather than at the school. Before a center can find somebody eligible for training services it has to gather enough to decide, at a minimum through an interview, evaluation or assessment and career planning. Referring a person to the provider they have chosen and setting up the account both come after that, and both are the center's to do — the account is a payment agreement with the training provider, and it is the provider that is paid through it. So the call belongs before enrolling and before paying. Anyone who has already done either should still ask, and ask what it means for them.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
Modesto American Job Center of California / EDD Workforce Services Branch (WSB) & Stanislaus County Workforce DevelopmentComprehensive center
Phone: 209-576-6118 or 209-558-WORK (9675)
629 12th StreetModesto, CA 95354about 2.4 miles away
Hours: Modesto AJCC - Monday - Friday 8am-5:00pm; Partner - StanWorkforce - Monday - Friday 8:30am-4:30pm
Has a veterans' representative
Tracy WorkNet CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 209-831-5012
340 W. 4th StreetTracy, CA 95376about 23.4 miles away
Hours: Monday, Tuesday Thursday, Friday 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. (Wednesdays closed at 2:30pm)
At a comprehensive center all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →