General Dentist salary in Chicago
Chicago–Naperville–Elgin, IL-IN
The verified BLS median general dentist in the Chicago metro earns $156,100 ($75.05/hr). Chicago pays roughly 9% below the national median of $170,950.
General Dentist pay in Chicago: the analysis
At a verified median of $156,100, general dentists in Chicago earn modestly below the U.S. median of $170,950 — a gap of about 9%. Among the 377 metro areas where the BLS reports general dentist pay, Chicago ranks 270th.
Compared with Illinois as a whole (median $156,110), 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 general dentists in this metro area earn around $123,920, while the top tenth earn $290,850 or more — a spread of about $166,930. 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 5,910 general dentists employed in Chicago — a measure of how deep the local job market is for the role.
Within Chicago, a general dentist earns about 1.6× what a dental hygienist earns and about 3.2× what a dental assistant earns ($100,260, $48,950 respectively) — a quick way to see where the role sits in the local dental pay ladder.
General Dentist pay distribution — Chicago (verified)
Inner percentiles marked “est.” are interpolated between published anchors.
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentilei | $123,920 |
| 25th percentilei | $124,800 |
| Median (50th)i | $156,100 |
| 75th percentilei | $272,510 |
| 90th percentilei | $290,850 |
| Mean (average)i | $192,460 |
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Submit your salary →Frequently asked questions
How much does a general dentist make in Chicago?
The verified BLS OEWS median general dentist in the Chicago metro earns about $156,100 ($75.05/hr), from the official May 2025 metropolitan wage survey.
How does Chicago general dentist pay compare to Illinois overall?
The verified BLS OEWS Chicago metro median is about $156,100, versus the verified BLS OEWS Illinois statewide median of about $156,110.
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