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Dental hygienist salary in Illinois

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$96,670median pay per year in Illinois, or $46.48 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $74,280lowest 10% earn less
  2. $79,40025th percentile
  3. $96,670median
  4. $101,80075th percentile
  5. $118,410top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $98,100[3]

The median pay for dental hygienists in Illinois was $96,670 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $1,430 lower than the US median[6].

Jobs in IL
8,970[4]
Rank by median pay
25 of 50[5]
Compared with US median
−1.5%[6]

How much do dental hygienists make in Illinois?

Half of the dental hygienists in Illinois earned more than $96,670 a year, and half earned less[1]. That works out to $46.48 an hour[1]. The average was $91,820 a year[7]. Across the US, the median was $98,100[3], so Illinois sat 1.5% below it[6]. Next to all jobs in the state, whose median was $51,960[8], dental hygienists earned $44,710 more[9].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $74,280, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $118,410[2]. The middle half of workers fell between $79,400 and $101,800[2]. About 8,970 people worked in this job in Illinois[4].

Pay was highest in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area, where the median was $100,260[10]. St. Louis, MO-IL had a median of $97,650[11]. These figures cover wage and salary workers only. The self-employed are left out, and so are bonuses and the value of benefits like health insurance[12].

Illinois vs US pay

Pay for dental hygienists in Illinois next to the national figures[1][3].

ILUS
Median per year$96,670[1]$98,100[3]
Median per hour$46.48[1]$47.16[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$74,280[2]$74,880[13]
Top 10% earn more than$118,410[2]$126,050[13]
Jobs8,970[4]222,740[3]

Pay by metro area in Illinois

Metro areas in Illinois with the most jobs for dental hygienists, and the median pay in each[11]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN[11]$100,2606,470
St. Louis, MO-IL$97,6502,150
Rockford, IL$86,120370
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL$82,000280
Springfield, IL$83,070280
Peoria, IL$77,870270
Champaign-Urbana, IL$81,110170
Bloomington, IL$78,220130

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for dental hygienists in the states that border Illinois, highest first[14].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Wisconsin[14]$96,5405,080
Missouri$92,7503,810
Indiana$92,3305,020
Iowa$84,0102,440
Kentucky$78,8302,070

Median pay for dental hygienists in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for dental hygienists are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: associate's degree[16].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a dental hygienist make in Illinois?
The median was $96,670 a year in May 2025[1]. The average was $91,820 a year[7].
How much does a dental hygienist make an hour in Illinois?
The median was $46.48 an hour[1]. The 10th percentile was $35.71 an hour and the 90th percentile was $56.93[17].
Which city in Illinois pays dental hygienists the most?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN had the highest median, $100,260 a year[10].
Is Illinois a good state for dental hygienists?
Illinois had the 25th highest median annual wage for this job out of the 49 states and DC with a published median[5]. Its median was 1.5% below the US median[6].
What do you need to become a dental hygienist in Illinois?
This is a US figure, not an Illinois one. Across the US, the typical entry education is an Associate's degree, with no work experience or on-the-job training[16].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Dental Hygienists in Illinois was $96,670 per year and $46.48 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Dental Hygienists in Illinois: 10th percentile $74,280, 25th percentile $79,400, 75th percentile $101,800, 90th percentile $118,410. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Dental Hygienists in the US as a whole was $98,100 per year and $47.16 per hour, with about 222,740 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 8,970 people worked as Dental Hygienists in Illinois (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: Illinois had the 25th highest median annual wage for Dental Hygienists out of the 49 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Dental Hygienists in Illinois ($96,670) was $1,430 (1.5%) lower than the US median ($98,100). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Dental Hygienists in Illinois was $91,820 per year and $44.15 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in Illinois was $51,960. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Dental Hygienists in Illinois was $44,710 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($51,960). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 12 metro areas in or partly in Illinois with a published median for Dental Hygienists, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN had the highest median annual wage, $100,260. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Dental Hygienists in the US: 10th percentile $74,880, 25th percentile $83,570, 75th percentile $108,480, 90th percentile $126,050. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Dental Hygienists in states that border Illinois (highest first): Wisconsin $96,540; Missouri $92,750; Indiana $92,330; Iowa $84,010; Kentucky $78,830. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Dental Hygienists is projected to grow 8% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 15,000 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Dental Hygienists: education needed for entry: Associate's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  17. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Dental Hygienists in Illinois: 10th percentile $35.71, 25th percentile $38.17, 75th percentile $48.94, 90th percentile $56.93. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only Illinois. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.