How Much Do Dental Assistants Get Paid in Illinois?
The average dental assistant in Illinois earns about $40,838 a year, or roughly $19.63 an hour, according to 2026 salary data. But that number moves a lot depending on where you work and what certifications you hold, and understanding that range is the key to earning more than the average.
Here's the full breakdown, from statewide averages to how certification changes your paycheck.
Illinois Dental Assistant Salary by Certification Level
Pay in Illinois climbs steadily as you add credentials. According to ZipRecruiter, here's how it breaks down:
General Dental Assistant: $40,838 a year ($19.63/hour)
Registered Dental Assistant: $43,403 a year ($20.87/hour)
Certified Dental Assistant: $46,367 a year ($22.29/hour)
Expanded Function Dental Assistant: $46,609 a year ($22.41/hour)
That's roughly a $5,800 gap, about 14 percent more, between a general assistant and one holding expanded function certification. Top earners (90th percentile) among Certified Dental Assistants in Illinois make as much as $67,831 a year.
How Much Do Dental Assistants Make in Chicago?
Chicago pays slightly above the state average. As of 2026, dental assistants in Chicago earn around $43,448 a year, or about $20.89 an hour, roughly $835 a week. That puts Chicago pay in line with what Registered Dental Assistants earn statewide, even before factoring in additional certifications.
How Does Illinois Compare to the Rest of the US?
This is where it gets interesting. Illinois' general dental assistant average ($40,838) actually sits below the nationwide average of $42,143, and well below the national median wage of $48,070 reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for May 2025. Illinois has historically ranked near the bottom of all states for base dental assistant pay.
The good news: certification closes that gap fast. Certified and Expanded Function Dental Assistants in Illinois ($46,367 and $46,609) both out-earn the national ZipRecruiter average, and get close to the BLS national median. In other words, if you're relying on base pay alone in Illinois, you're behind the national curve, but if you're certified, you're much closer to competitive with the rest of the country.
How to Increase Your Pay as a Dental Assistant in Illinois
Since certification is what closes the pay gap, the fastest way to increase your earning potential is to add credentials strategically. A typical path looks like:
Start with foundational training. Dental AssistEd's 8-Week Become a Dental Assistant Program gets you job-ready and working, which is the first step toward everything else.
Add coronal polishing certification. One of the most common first expanded functions, and often a prerequisite for further certifications. Explore Illinois Coronal Polishing and Pit and Fissure Sealants.
Work toward EFDA Restorative certification. This is where the biggest pay jump tends to happen. Once you meet the clinical hours prerequisite, EFDA Restorative Certification authorizes you to place, pack, and finish composite restorations, a meaningfully bigger scope of work.
Round out your credentials with CE courses. Ongoing online CE courses keep your skills current and can make you a stronger candidate for higher-paying roles.
For the full order these classes typically go in, see our guide on what classes you should take to become a dental assistant.
The Bottom Line
Dental assistant pay in Illinois starts below the national average, but certification is a clear, direct lever for closing that gap and then some. A Certified or Expanded Function Dental Assistant in Illinois earns close to $46,500 a year on average, well above what an uncertified assistant makes and competitive with national figures.
Ready to move up the pay scale? Explore Dental AssistEd's Illinois courses or contact us to figure out the right certification path for where you are right now.
