Regional Queensland
Regional recruitment specialist for Queensland employers, from Cairns to Toowoomba and Mount Isa. See how hard each region is to hire in, and how we help.
Dental assistant recruitment for regional employers
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help private dental practices, specialist practices, dental groups and community dental services across regional Australia hire qualified dental assistants, including those who take X-rays, run sterilisation or support a specialist. The qualification, your state's X-ray rules and the hours you need are part of the search from the first conversation.
Dental assistant hiring at a glance
Dental assistant job ads hold steady at close to 800 a month, and almost a third of them are outside the major cities.
- online job ads a month for dental assistants
- 782
- Three-month average to September 2026, against 787 a year earlier.1
- of those ads were for regional areas
- 32%
- 240 of 760 ads placed in a major city or regional area, against 29% of all job ads.2
- of dental assistants work full-time hours
- 42%
- 2025 annual average, so the days and hours you offer shape who applies.3
- median full-time weekly earnings
- $1,211
- Dental assistants nationally, May 2025.3
What does a dental assistant do, and which qualification do they hold?
Dental assistants prepare patients, hand instruments and materials to the dentist, hygienist or therapist, use suction, process X-rays, and sterilise equipment to prevent cross-infection. Many also manage reception, billing and patient care instructions.3
Dental assistants aren't registered with the Dental Board of Australia, which registers dental practitioners only.5 The national qualifications are the HLT35021 Certificate III in Dental Assisting and the HLT45021 Certificate IV in Dental Assisting. Both are current, and the Certificate IV has a Dental Radiography specialisation.6,7 Dental Assistant isn't rated in shortage on the 2026 list.4
Which X-ray licence does a dental assistant need in each state?
Taking dental X-rays is regulated by each state and territory, and the qualification states that radiography must only be done by someone licensed or authorised under that state's law.7 The rules differ sharply: New South Wales has needed no user licence since 1 December 2025 for an assistant who has completed an approved course, while Victoria and Queensland still require one.
Who may take dental X-rays as a dental assistant, as published by each state or territory regulator, read on 1 November 2026.
| State or territory | Dental X-ray rule for a dental assistant |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | No user licence for intra-oral, OPG or lateral cephalometric X-rays after an approved course (or a licence held at 1 December 2025), under general supervision8 |
| Victoria | Use licence; prerequisites are a Certificate III or IV in Dental Assisting plus the Dental Radiography Skill Set from a recognised DEN3 course provider; 3D units also need DEN4 and DEN5 training within the last 12 months9 |
| Queensland | Use licence from Queensland Health; the deemed licence covers registered dental practitioners only10 |
| Western Australia | No licence; X-rays only with an approved dental ancillary qualification, on a dentist's instructions and under supervision11 |
| South Australia | Radiation licence from the EPA to operate X-ray apparatus12 |
| Tasmania | Licence under the Radiation Protection Act 2005 to use a radiation source13 |
| Northern Territory | Licence to use intra-oral equipment after an accredited Certificate IV course that includes OPG14 |
| Australian Capital Territory | Radiation licence; training or experience such as a Certificate IV in Dental Assisting (Radiography)15 |
What does a dental assistant earn?
The Health Professionals and Support Services Award covers employers that deliver dental services, and their support services employees. Employees under a state public sector award or an enterprise award fall outside it.16 From 1 April 2026 the award set dental assistants' own levels by qualification and experience. A dental assistant with a Certificate III, or four years' experience, earns at least $1,163.90 a week, or $30.63 an hour. A Certificate IV holder earns at least $1,203.50 a week. These rates apply until 31 December 2026.16
Market pay sits a little above the award. Dental assistants had median full-time earnings of $1,211 a week, or $33 an hour, in May 2025, nationally.3 We talk with you about the rate, the hours and any relocation help that will compete for your location.
Dental assistant minimum rates, full-time, from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026 until 31 December 2026 (clause 16.2(b)).16
| Award level and who it covers | A week | An hour |
|---|---|---|
| Level 5: no qualification, 12 months to 4 years in dental assisting | $1,107.8016 | $29.15 |
| Level 6: Certificate III, or 4 years or more in dental assisting | $1,163.90 | $30.63 |
| Level 7: Certificate IV or equivalent experience | $1,203.50 | $31.67 |
Where are dental assistants in demand?
New South Wales carries the most dental assistant job ads, ahead of Queensland and Victoria. Over the year to September 2026, ads rose in New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania, and fell elsewhere, most in Queensland, from 233 to 198 a month.1 Regional ads edged up from 233 to 240 a month.2
The workforce is shrinking. 27,300 people worked as dental assistants in February 2026, 1,600 fewer than a year earlier.3
Online job ads for dental assistants by state and territory, three-month average to September 2026 and a year earlier.1
| State or territory | Job ads a month, September 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 2191 | 199 |
| Queensland | 198 | 233 |
| Victoria | 177 | 189 |
| Western Australia | 86 | 76 |
| South Australia | 65 | 49 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 19 | 21 |
| Tasmania | 15 | 9 |
| Northern Territory | 2 | 11 |
Which dental assistant roles do we recruit?
Open a role for the qualification, the checks and what to put in your brief.
Chairside dental assistants
Qualified assistants for general and family dental practices.
- Qualification
- HLT35021 Certificate III in Dental Assisting, the current national qualification.6
- Pay
- Award minimum: $1,163.90 a week (Level 6, Certificate III, until 31 December 2026). Market median: $1,211 a week (dental assistants, May 2025).3,16
- Demand
- 240 dental assistant job ads a month were in regional areas in the three months to September 2026.2
- What to tell us
- The dentists and clinicians the assistant supports, the chairs, the days and hours, and whether reception or billing is part of the role.
Dental assistants who take X-rays
Assistants with the radiography qualification your state requires.
- Qualification
- HLT45021 Certificate IV in Dental Assisting with the Dental Radiography specialisation.7
- Licence
- Set by each state: in Victoria a use licence needs a Certificate III or IV plus the Dental Radiography Skill Set.9
- Pay
- Award minimum: $1,203.50 a week (Level 7, Certificate IV, until 31 December 2026). Market median: $1,211 a week (dental assistants, May 2025).3,16
- What to tell us
- The X-ray equipment you use (intra-oral, OPG, cephalometric or cone beam CT) and the licence or course you need the assistant to hold.
Lead and specialist practice assistants
Senior assistants for specialist practices, sterilisation and team leadership.
- Qualification
- The Certificate IV includes sterilising loads and work health and safety as core units.7
- Award level
- Level 7 covers a Certificate IV or equivalent experience, as assessed by the employer.16
- Workforce
- Only 42% of dental assistants work full-time hours.3
- What to tell us
- The specialty (orthodontics, oral surgery, periodontics), sterilisation and stock duties, any team you want them to lead, and theatre or sedation work.
What to tell us about your dental assistant role
Tell us the practice first: general or specialist, how many dentists and clinicians, and the chairs the assistant will cover. Then the qualification and experience you need, and whether the role includes X-rays, sterilisation, reception or practice support.
The practical details matter just as much: the days and hours, late or Saturday sessions, the X-ray equipment on site, and any help with relocation if the right person is moving to your town.
How we help you hire a dental assistant
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Hours, local hiring and relocation
We start a regional dental assistant search with qualified assistants already living in your area or nearby towns, then widen it to people with ties to the region who are planning a move. Tell us the days and hours on offer, so we can match them to what each candidate is looking for.
Assistants moving interstate need to meet your state's X-ray rules before they take radiographs; Victoria, for example, issues its own use licence.9 If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for a dental assistant role in the regions?
Register with Hire Australia and tell us your qualification, any radiography licence, the practices you have worked in and where you would like to work. We will talk with you about roles that fit your experience and hours.
Talk to us about your next dental assistant hire
Tell us the role, the practice, the location and the hours you need covered.
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.
A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Good to know.
Do dental assistants need to be registered?
No. The Dental Board of Australia registers dental practitioners, not dental assistants.5 Most employers look for the Certificate III or IV in Dental Assisting, and taking X-rays needs whatever licence or approved course your state requires.6,7 Hire Australia asks every candidate about their qualification and any radiography licence.
Can a dental assistant take X-rays?
Yes, within each state's rules. New South Wales has exempted assistants who completed an approved course since 1 December 2025. Victoria and Queensland require a use licence, and Western Australia allows X-rays only with an approved dental ancillary qualification, on a dentist's instructions.8,9,10,11 Hire Australia raises your state's rule with each candidate and builds it into the brief.
What is the award rate for a dental assistant in 2026?
Where the Health Professionals and Support Services Award covers the role, a dental assistant with a Certificate III earns at least $1,163.90 a week, and one with a Certificate IV at least $1,203.50, until 31 December 2026.16 The national median was $1,211 a week in May 2025.3 Hire Australia talks through your pay range early.
How hard is it to recruit a dental assistant in a regional area?
Dental Assistant isn't rated in shortage for 2026, but the workforce fell by 1,600 over the year to February 2026.3,4 Job ads averaged 782 a month in the three months to September 2026, 240 of them regional.1,2 Hire Australia starts each search with qualified assistants close to your practice.
What does it cost to use Hire Australia?
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment. You employ the person directly, and we agree the terms with you in writing before the search begins. The fee terms are the same for every dental assistant role Hire Australia recruits, including lead and specialist practice assistants.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire or temps, and candidates never work on our payroll. We search for and screen people for your vacancy, introduce the ones who fit, and you make the offer and employ them. That keeps the working relationship between you and your new employee from day one.
Sources (16)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by state and territory, September 2026. Online job ads, three-month moving average to September 2026 (released 21 October 2026), rounded. Counts ads, not jobs. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by remoteness (major cities and regional), September 2026. Online job ads, three-month moving average to September 2026; SA4 regions grouped as major city or regional; unclassified ads excluded. Counts ads, not jobs. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO occupation data, February 2026 (occupation descriptions, earnings and employment). Medians: ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, national, 4-digit groups. Employment: 4-digit February 2026, trend; 6-digit occupations, 2021 Census. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (ANZSCO 2022 sheet). National ratings, files dated October 2026, ANZSCO 2022 coding. "In shortage" means rated S (shortage) or R (regional shortage). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Dental Board of Australia, Registration (dental practitioners must be registered with the Board; registration types). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- training.gov.au, HLT35021 Certificate III in Dental Assisting (release 5, 1 July 2023; current; replaced HLT35015). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- training.gov.au, HLT45021 Certificate IV in Dental Assisting (release 4, 22 December 2025; current; Dental Radiography specialisation). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Environment Protection Authority, Radiation user licence: exemptions and supervision requirements (updated 14 April 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Victorian Department of Health, Dental assistants/nurses: use licences (updated 13 October 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Queensland Health, Dental use licence (last updated 3 September 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Western Australian Government (legislation.wa.gov.au), Radiation Safety (General) Regulations 1983, regulations 34 and 38 (official version as at 1 July 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Environment Protection Authority South Australia, Radiation licensing (licences to operate ionising radiation apparatus). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Tasmanian Department of Health, What is radiation protection? (a licence is needed to deal with a radiation source). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Northern Territory Government, Radiation licences for medical and dental practitioners: dental practitioners. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- ACT Government, Radiation licence for dental use (last updated 5 March 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Commission, Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027], clauses 4, 16, 17 and Schedules A and B. Consolidated award incorporating amendments to 1 October 2026 (PR814029). Coverage: clause 4; state public sector awards excluded (clause 4.6). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑