Dental Assistants pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,950 a year or less, while the top 10% make $61,150 or more. The middle half of dental assistants in Chicago earn between $46,420 and $58,210.
- $39K10th
- $46K25th
- $49KMedian
- $58K75th
- $61K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $50,370 | $4,198 | $24.22 |
| Median | $48,950 | $4,079 | $23.53 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $46,420 | $3,868 | $22.32 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $58,210 | $4,851 | $27.99 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Dental Assistants salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $50,370, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $40,300 a year, or $3,358 a month and $1,550 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in IN | $41,171 | $3,431 |
| Working in IL | $40,300 | $3,358 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for dental assistants? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $50,370 buys what about $48,622 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 7.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Dental Assistants salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$50,370
- Champaign$47,680
- Decatur$47,680
- Bloomington$46,680
- Kankakee$46,450
- Springfield$46,080
- Peoria$45,930
- Rockford$45,660
Highest-paying cities for dental assistants
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($71,150).
- San Jose, CA$71,150
- Minneapolis, MN$67,420
- San Francisco, CA$64,900
- Santa Rosa, CA$62,500
- Rochester, MN$61,860
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Dental Assistants salary in Chicago: questions
How much do dental assistants make an hour in Chicago?
$24.22 an hour on average, and $23.53 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level dental assistants salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,950 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,420, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the dental assistants take-home pay in Chicago?
About $40,300 a year ($3,358 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $50,370.
Do dental assistants earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($50,500).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 31-9091; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.6%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.93, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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