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Air ForceMedicalRank #92 of 101 by 4-year cost
4Y0X1

Dental Assistant

14-week pipeline · BMT + Technical Training · JBSA–Fort Sam Houston, TX
Training Pipeline
$26K
14 weeks
Annual MILPERS
$63K
E-4, 3 years service
Equipment Burden
$3K
per year (amortized)
4-Year Total Cost
$292K
DoD investment
4-Year Cost Breakdown
Training Pipeline
$26K9%
Military Personnel (MILPERS × 4yr)
$254K87%
Equipment Burden (× 4yr)
$12K4%
Training: 9% · MILPERS: 87% · Equipment: 4%= $292K
By the Numbers

Civilian dental assistants earn $40K–$55K. Air Force dental training produces EFDA-eligible specialists — a credential adding 10–15% to civilian salary potential post-separation.

Training Pipeline
Duration
14 weeks
Type
BMT + Technical Training
Location
JBSA–Fort Sam Houston, TX
Pipeline Cost
$26K

Air Force dental assistants provide complete dental benefits to all active duty personnel — worth $1,500–$3,000/year per service member in civilian market rates. They qualify as Expanded Function Dental Assistants (EFDA), a credential requiring additional civilian training.

Equipment & Annual Burden
Assigned Equipment
  • ·Dental Chair and Unit ($20K)
  • ·Radiography Equipment
  • ·Sterilization Equipment
  • ·Dental Instruments
Annual Equipment Burden
$3K/yr
Dental equipment share amortized
Military Personnel Cost (Annual)
Grade BenchmarkE-4, 3 years service
Base MILPERS$63K/yr
Total Annual MILPERS$63K/yr
Force Structure Context
Annual Accessions~1,200
Avg Career Length5 years
Annual Training Bill$31.2M
Total Force 4yr Cost$349.8M
Read 4Y0X1 Reviews →← All MOS ProfilesAverage Per-Soldier Cost →
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Cost estimates derived from DoD Comptroller per-soldier analysis, RAND Corporation military personnel studies, CBO military compensation reports, service-specific training cost testimony, and published equipment unit costs. Error margin ±15%. Individual costs vary by duty station, assignment, and deployment tempo. This is Phase 3 of the Honest MOS DoD Budget Intelligence Roadmap.