Dental Assistant salary in Chicago
Chicago–Naperville–Elgin, IL-IN
The verified BLS median dental assistant in the Chicago metro earns $48,950 ($23.53/hr). Chicago is about the national median ($48,070).
Dental Assistant pay in Chicago: the analysis
At a verified median of $48,950, dental assistants in Chicago earn slightly above the U.S. median of $48,070 — a gap of about 2%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports dental assistant pay, Chicago ranks 95th.
Compared with Illinois as a whole (median $48,610), Chicago tracks the statewide median closely. Local demand, cost of labor, and the mix of practices drive most of that difference.
The pay range is wide: the lowest-paid tenth of dental assistants in this metro area earn around $38,950, while the top tenth earn $61,150 or more — a spread of about $22,200. That gap reflects experience, practice setting, and local demand more than any single factor, so an individual offer can sit well above or below the midpoint.
The BLS counts roughly 10,490 dental assistants employed in Chicago — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Chicago, a dental assistant earns about 3.2× less than a general dentist and about 2.0× less than a dental hygienist ($156,100, $100,260 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Dental Assistant pay distribution — Chicago (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $38,950 | $18.73/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $46,420 | $22.32/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $48,950 | $23.53/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $58,210 | $27.99/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $61,150 | $29.40/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $50,370 | $24.22/hr |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental assistant make in Chicago?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental assistant in the Chicago metro earns about $48,950 ($23.53/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Chicago dental assistant pay compare to Illinois overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Chicago metro median is about $48,950, versus the verified BLS OEWS Illinois statewide median of about $48,610.
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