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Dental

Registered Dental Assistant

Salud Para la Gente logoSalud Para la Gente$25.31–$31.55/hrWatsonville, CAPosted 1w ago

How this pay compares

This posting states $25.31–$31.55 an hour. Open dental assistant jobs in California post a median of $28 an hour, the middle half $25.13–$33.25, across 46 jobs that state their pay, so this one is within the middle half of what they post. Dental assistants employed in California earn a median of $24.09 an hour (source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025) (source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics).

Dental assistants in California: pay by town and employer

The Dentists, Hygienists & Dental Assistants job market: pay, applicant demand and hiring, researched nightly

About the job

Salud Para La Gente (SALUD) provides high quality, comprehensive and cost-effective healthcare to underserved low-income communities in the Monterey Bay area, including Santa Cruz County and North Monterey County. We began in Watsonville 1978 as a storefront “free clinic,” and with the ever growing need for health services, in 1992 we became a federally qualified health center (FQHC). Today we are a primary health care network with 11 clinic sites, over 400 employees and continue to provide high quality services to patients of all ages.

SALUD offers a competitive salary and a collaborative culture that values excellence, achievement, innovation and compassion.

We are seeking a dynamic, organized and detail-oriented Registered Dental Assistant to assist the Dentist in the provision of dental services to the patients, both front and back office.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Chair side assistant to dentist and dental hygienist for chair side procedures, monitoring and reinforcing patient comfort under supervision of dentist and/or dental director
  • Takes blood pressure reading, prepares and develop patient x-rays, labeling of x-rays.
  • Sterilization of all instruments and chair side supplies; maintenance of sterilization and cleaning equipment.
  • Maintain the evacuation system, laboratory equipment, air compressor, and supplies.
  • Inventory control assistant, receiving and monitoring shipment supplies, restocking of dental materials and ordering.
  • Chart documentation as instructed by provider, assists in management of patient scheduling, patient charts, and recall system.
  • Pouring and care of laboratory impressions.
  • Completion of Lab RX as instructed by provider
  • Maintenance of dental hand pieces, equipment and units.
  • Daily set up and shut down of dental delivery system.
  • Take impressions for diagnostic and opposing models.
  • Apply non-aerosol and non-caustic topical agents.
  • Remove post extraction and periodontal dressings.
  • Placement and removal of elastic orthodontic separators
  • Hold anterior matrices, remove sutures.
  • Apply topical fluorine after scaling and polish.
  • Place and remove rubber dams, place wedge and remove matrices.
  • Assists in front office as needed.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

The ideal candidate will embrace our mission to provide high quality health care to patients of all ages. This position requires the ability to follow instructions of the Dental Director and/or dentist, assess patients' complaints to determine whether to schedule, to refer to specialist, or to treat as walk-in, communicate effectively and respectfully with all patients, work as chair side Registered Dental Assistant as well as front office for dental clinic, work Saturdays and/or extended shift when required.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • Current Registered Dental Assistant State License (RDA)
  • X Ray License
  • Coronal Polish Certification
  • Knowledge and experience working with dental patients and dental equipment.
  • Knowledge of both front and back office dental procedures.
  • Fluent bilingual Spanish/English
  • Current CPR certification
  • Valid Drivers’ License and current vehicle insurance; must be able to travel between sites.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bicultural candidates preferred

SALARY & BENEFITS:

Salary Range: $25.31 to $31.55 per hour.

Employment Type: Full Time

Benefits: Available to all regular Salud employees working 24+ hours per week. Part-time employees may receive some benefits on a pro-rated basis.

  • Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance Plans
  • Paid Time Off (PTO): 19 days per year
  • Paid Holidays: 13.5 per year
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan with employer contribution
  • 403 (B), FSA for dependent care
  • Voluntary Long-Term Disability

Additional Information

  • Employees on temporary assignments are eligible for holiday pay and California sick pay, both pro-rated based on hours worked.
  • On-call employees are eligible for California sick pay, pro-rated based on hours worked

Salud is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. Salud is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, contact the Salud Human Resources Department, [831-728-8250, and HRDept@splg.org].

From Salud Para la Gente's job posting, checked 4 Nov 2026. The employer's own page is the final word on requirements and availability.

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About Salud Para la Gente

Salud Para la Gente hires allied health staff, physicians and front-office staff in Watsonville, California.

Hires in CaliforniaPay on its listings: 69.2% of its open jobs state an hourly rate

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