Dental Assistant Salaries in Illinois
How much can I make in dental assisting in Illinois and in Chicago?
As the nation’s sixth most populous state, Illinois offers extensive opportunities to individuals interested in entering the healthcare professions. Jobs for dental assistants are available in abundance in its various metropolitan areas. That is especially true in Chicago, which is America’s third-largest city.
More than 12,000 men and women were employed as dental assistants in Illinois in 2016. This number is expected to rise by 8.8 percent between 2016 and 2026, which is well below growth projections for the United States as a nation (19.5 percent).
The average salary for a dental assistant in Illinois is approximately the same as the average salary for a dental assistant in the country as a whole. Men and women employed in this field can expect to receive wages commensurate to those earned by dental assistants in surrounding Midwestern states.
Dental Assistant Job Outlook for Illinois vs. the United States
AreaName | Base Year | Employed | Projection Year | Projected Employment | Change | % Change | Projected Average Annual Job Openings |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 2018 | 346,000 | 2026 | 384,700 | 38,700 | 19.5% | 44,800 |
Illinois | 2016 | 12,060 | 2026 | 13,120 | 1,060 | 8.8% | 1,470 |
Average Salaries in Dental Assisting in Illinois vs. the United States
State | Total Employed | Hourly Mean | Hourly Mean | Annual Mean | 10th Percentile | 25th Percentile | Annual Median | 75th Percentile |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. | 351,470 | $19.79 | $41,170 | $27,980 | $33,440 | $40,080 | $48,550 | $56,930 |
Illinois | 13,170 | $19.36 | $40,270 | $28,330 | $33,500 | $39,560 | $47,760 | $53,180 |
The highest wages in Illinois are paid to dental assistants working in the Peoria area. Based on high demand for dental services in heavily populated cities, individuals employed in the Greater Chicago area and those who commute from Illinois to St. Louis, Missouri, will earn more as dental assistants than those employed outside the major population centers (with the exception of Peoria). Find out about becoming a dental assistant in Chicago here.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, dental assistants who work in Springfield, Decatur or the Davenport (IA)-Moline (IL)-Rock Island (IL) metropolitan area can expect to earn less than the state average.
Area | Total Employed | Hourly Mean | Annual Mean | 10th Percentile | 25th Percentile | Annual Median | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bloomington, IL | 180 | $18.84 | $39,180 | $27,080 | $32,650 | $38,100 | $47,070 | $52,540 |
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 140 | $15.80 | $32,870 | $23,140 | $26,580 | $32,060 | $38,910 | $46,020 |
Carbondale-Marion, IL | 100 | $18.65 | $38,780 | $29,690 | $33,720 | $37,920 | $45,170 | $50,760 |
Champaign-Urbana, IL | 130 | $18.76 | $39,020 | $32,290 | $34,950 | $38,760 | $43,600 | $48,370 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 10760 | $19.72 | $41,030 | $29,490 | $34,190 | $41,110 | $48,590 | $53,610 |
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 400 | $17.03 | $35,420 | $26,400 | $29,990 | $35,230 | $40,180 | $46,620 |
Decatur, IL | 130 | $17.27 | $35,930 | $22,410 | $28,330 | $36,090 | $41,790 | $50,810 |
Kankakee, IL | 60 | $18.82 | $39,150 | $25,580 | $31,140 | $41,230 | $47,190 | $50,540 |
Peoria, IL | 450 | $21.40 | $44,520 | $28,650 | $34,230 | $44,170 | $54,610 | $62,890 |
Rockford, IL | 430 | $18.46 | $38,410 | $26,550 | $31,120 | $36,000 | $43,080 | $51,350 |
Springfield, IL | 180 | $16.87 | $35,080 | $23,280 | $27,980 | $35,000 | $42,130 | $48,970 |
St. Louis, MO-IL | 2400 | $19.26 | $40,060 | $27,140 | $34,090 | $40,420 | $47,180 | $51,780 |
In Illinois, dental assistants earn more than medical assistants and significantly more than nursing assistants and pharmacy technicians. However, physical therapists in Illinois are very well compensated and may earn as much as 40 percent more than men and women employed as dental assistants.
Occupation | Total Employed | Hourly Mean | Annual Mean | 10th Percentile | 25th Percentile | Annual Median | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pharmacy Technicians | 21090 | $16.15 | $33,590 | $23,340 | $27,090 | $32,110 | $38,470 | $47,000 |
Nursing Assistants | 60370 | $14.31 | $29,760 | $22,570 | $25,550 | $28,810 | $32,760 | $38,730 |
Physical Therapist Assistants | 3980 | $28.43 | $59,130 | $36,060 | $51,430 | $59,860 | $70,090 | $80,770 |
Dental Assistants | 13170 | $19.36 | $40,270 | $28,330 | $33,500 | $39,560 | $47,760 | $53,180 |
Medical Assistants | 22940 | $17.55 | $36,500 | $26,340 | $29,800 | $35,220 | $40,790 | $49,250 |