How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Bloomington, IL in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Bloomington, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Illinois.
BLS OES May 2025 · Bloomington metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Bloomington, Illinois earns $22.30 per hour, or $46,390 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,866 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $35,160, and the top 10% of earners make over $57,870.
That pay is 5% below the Illinois figure of $48,610 and 3% below the national figure of $48,070. Bloomington ranks 6th of 9 metro areas in Illinois for Dental Assistant pay. About 140 Dental Assistants work in the Bloomington area.
Dental Assistant pay in Bloomington at a glance
- Typical pay is $22.30 an hour, or $46,390 a year.
- That is 5% below the Illinois figure, ranking 6th of 9 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $35,160; the top 10% make over $57,870.
- Typical pay rose +45% from 2015 to 2025, against +33% for Illinois as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Bloomington?
Pay in Bloomington runs from entry-level positions at around $16.90 an hour to more than $27.82 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Illinois and national figures.
Dental Assistant pay by career stage in Bloomington
| Career stage | Bloomington | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $35,160$16.90 an hour | $37,360$17.96 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $38,070$18.30 an hour | $40,390$19.42 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $46,390$22.30 an hour | $48,610$23.37 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $50,370$24.21 an hour | $56,860$27.34 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $57,870$27.82 an hour | $59,910$28.80 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Bloomington area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Bloomington
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Bloomington area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Bloomington was $32,090 a year. By 2025 it had reached $46,390, a change of +45%, compared with +33% for Illinois over the same years.
How Bloomington compares with other Illinois cities
Chicago pays Dental Assistants the most in Illinois at $48,950 a year, $2,560 more than Bloomington. The lowest-paying area in the state is Springfield at $45,390.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Bloomington | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago | $48,950 | $23.53 | +6% | 10,490 |
| 2 | Decatur | $47,770 | $22.97 | +3% | 60 |
| 3 | Moline metro incl. Rock Island | $47,410 | $22.79 | +2% | 380 |
| 4 | Peoria | $47,280 | $22.73 | +2% | 300 |
| 5 | Champaign metro incl. Urbana | $47,120 | $22.65 | +2% | 180 |
| 6 | Bloomington | $46,390 | $22.30 | this city | 140 |
| 7 | Rockford | $45,970 | $22.10 | -1% | 530 |
| 8 | Kankakee | $45,610 | $21.93 | -2% | 60 |
| 9 | Springfield | $45,390 | $21.82 | -2% | 360 |
Every metro area in Illinois with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Illinois typical pay $48,610
Is Bloomington a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistant pay in Bloomington sits close to the national figure: $46,390 a year, 3% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Bloomington area, about 1.6 are Dental Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.4. That makes Dental Assistants a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Dental Assistant make in Bloomington, IL?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Bloomington earns $46,390 a year, or $22.30 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $35,160 and the top 10% earn over $57,870.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Bloomington?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Bloomington is $22.30. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $16.90, and the top 10% earn over $27.82 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Bloomington?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Bloomington typically offer around $16.90 an hour, or $35,160 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Bloomington higher than in the rest of Illinois?
- Bloomington pay is 5% below the Illinois figure of $48,610 a year, ranking 6th of 9 metro areas in the state. Chicago pays the most in Illinois at $48,950.