Dental Salary Data · BLS OEWS May 2025
Dental Specialist Salary in Illinois
The median dental specialist earns $250,880 a year in Illinois, with most between $229,690 and $269,160.
25th percentile
$229,690
Entry / lower range
Median
$250,880
The typical pay
75th percentile
$269,160
Experienced / upper range
That's roughly $250,880 per year or $120.62/hr at the median. Illinois runs about 12% above the national median.
Top-paying metros in Illinois
What drives dental specialist pay in Illinois
Pay for a dental specialistdepends on experience, setting, and metro. Group practices and dental support organizations (DSOs) often sit toward the upper end of the range, since they compete for talent across multiple locations and can offer benefits and advancement a single practice can't.
Across dentistry, hiring is hard and getting harder: staffing is consistently ranked among dentists' top challenges, and open roles routinely take well over two months to fill. For candidates, that means leverage; for employers, it means speed and fit matter more than ever.
For dental pros
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Dental Specialist salary in Illinois: FAQ
What is the average dental specialist salary in Illinois?
The median dental specialist salary in Illinois is about $250,880 per year ($120.62/hr), based on BLS OEWS data (May 2025). Most earn between $229,690 and $269,160.
How does Illinois compare to the national average?
At a $250,880 median, dental specialist pay in Illinois runs about 12% above the national median. Local cost of living and demand drive most of the difference.
Which Illinois cities pay dental specialists the most?
Among Illinois metros, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin is at the top, with a median around $269,160.
Hiring in Illinois?
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Other roles in Illinois
Dental Specialist salary by state