How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make in Peoria, IL in 2026?
Typical pay for Dental Assistants in Peoria, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Illinois.
BLS OES May 2025 · Peoria metro area
A typical Dental Assistant in Peoria, Illinois earns $22.73 per hour, or $47,280 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,940 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $36,730, and the top 10% of earners make over $58,500.
That pay is 3% below the Illinois figure of $48,610 and 2% below the national figure of $48,070. Peoria ranks 4th of 9 metro areas in Illinois for Dental Assistant pay. About 300 Dental Assistants work in the Peoria area.
Dental Assistant pay in Peoria at a glance
- Typical pay is $22.73 an hour, or $47,280 a year.
- That is 3% below the Illinois figure, ranking 4th of 9 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $36,730; the top 10% make over $58,500.
- Typical pay rose +20% from 2015 to 2025, against +33% for Illinois as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Dental Assistant make in Peoria?
Pay in Peoria runs from entry-level positions at around $17.66 an hour to more than $28.13 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 Peoria
| Career stage | Peoria | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $36,730$17.66 an hour | $37,360$17.96 an hour | $37,130$17.85 an hour |
| First years | $37,320$17.94 an hour | $40,390$19.42 an hour | $44,340$21.32 an hour |
| Typical Dental Assistant | $47,280$22.73 an hour | $48,610$23.37 an hour | $48,070$23.11 an hour |
| Experienced | $50,600$24.33 an hour | $56,860$27.34 an hour | $58,090$27.93 an hour |
| Top 10% | $58,500$28.13 an hour | $59,910$28.80 an hour | $62,250$29.93 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Peoria area as BLS defines it
Dental Assistant pay growth in Peoria
Typical (median) annual wage for Dental Assistants in the Peoria area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Dental Assistant pay in Peoria was $39,520 a year. By 2025 it had reached $47,280, a change of +20%, compared with +33% for Illinois over the same years.
How Peoria compares with other Illinois cities
Chicago pays Dental Assistants the most in Illinois at $48,950 a year, $1,670 more than Peoria. The lowest-paying area in the state is Springfield at $45,390.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Peoria | Dental Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago | $48,950 | $23.53 | +4% | 10,490 |
| 2 | Decatur | $47,770 | $22.97 | +1% | 60 |
| 3 | Moline metro incl. Rock Island | $47,410 | $22.79 | 0% | 380 |
| 4 | Peoria | $47,280 | $22.73 | this city | 300 |
| 5 | Champaign metro incl. Urbana | $47,120 | $22.65 | 0% | 180 |
| 6 | Bloomington | $46,390 | $22.30 | -2% | 140 |
| 7 | Rockford | $45,970 | $22.10 | -3% | 530 |
| 8 | Kankakee | $45,610 | $21.93 | -4% | 60 |
| 9 | Springfield | $45,390 | $21.82 | -4% | 360 |
Every metro area in Illinois with Dental Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Illinois typical pay $48,610
Is Peoria a good place to work as a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistant pay in Peoria sits close to the national figure: $47,280 a year, 2% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Peoria area, about 1.8 are Dental Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.5. 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 Peoria, IL?
- A typical Dental Assistant in Peoria earns $47,280 a year, or $22.73 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $36,730 and the top 10% earn over $58,500.
- How much does a Dental Assistant make an hour in Peoria?
- Typical hourly pay for Dental Assistants in Peoria is $22.73. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $17.66, and the top 10% earn over $28.13 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Dental Assistant in Peoria?
- Entry-level Dental Assistant positions in Peoria typically offer around $17.66 an hour, or $36,730 a year.
- Is Dental Assistant pay in Peoria higher than in the rest of Illinois?
- Peoria pay is 3% below the Illinois figure of $48,610 a year, ranking 4th of 9 metro areas in the state. Chicago pays the most in Illinois at $48,950.