Dental Hygienist salary in Illinois
The verified BLS median dental hygienist in Illinois earns $96,670 ($46.48/hr). Illinois is about the national median ($98,100).
Dental Hygienist pay in Illinois: the analysis
At a verified median of $96,670, dental hygienists in Illinois earn in line with the U.S. median of $98,100 . Among the 51 states where the BLS reports dental hygienist pay, Illinois ranks 25th.
The pay range is wide: the lowest-paid tenth of dental hygienists in this state earn around $74,280, while the top tenth earn $118,410 or more — a spread of about $44,130. That gap reflects experience, practice setting, and demand more than any single factor, so an individual offer can sit well above or below the midpoint.
The BLS counts roughly 8,970 dental hygienists employed in Illinois — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Illinois, a dental hygienist earns about 1.6× less than a general dentist and about 2.0× what a dental assistant earns ($156,110, $48,610 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
Within the state, dental hygienist pay is highest in Chicago at about $100,260 and lowest in Peoria at about $77,870. Metro-level demand and cost of living explain most of the in-state variation — see the metro breakdown below.
Dental Hygienist pay distribution — Illinois (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $74,280 | $35.71/hr |
| 25th percentilei | $79,400 | $38.17/hr |
| Median (50th)i | $96,670 | $46.48/hr |
| 75th percentilei | $101,800 | $48.94/hr |
| 90th percentilei | $118,410 | $56.93/hr |
| Mean (average)i | $91,820 | $44.14/hr |
Dental Hygienist pay by metro in Illinois
All 8 Illinois metros where BLS publishes a dental hygienist wage — highest first. State median: $96,670.
- Chicago$100,260+4%
- Rockford$86,120-11%
- Springfield$83,070-14%
- Champaign$81,110-16%
- Decatur$80,930-16%
- Kankakee$78,430-19%
- Bloomington$78,220-19%
- Peoria$77,870-19%
Verified BLS OEWS metropolitan wage estimates (May 2025). Percentages compare each metro median with the Illinois median. Metros where BLS does not publish a dental hygienist wage are not listed.
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How much does a dental hygienist make in Illinois?
The verified BLS OEWS median dental hygienist in Illinois earns about $96,670 ($46.48/hr), from the official May 2025 state wage survey.
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