Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) salary in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
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The median annual wage for Dental Hygienists in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN was $100,260 in BLS OEWS May 2025. The middle half of workers earned between $86,330 and $102,340.
What does the published range tell you about an offer?
BLS reports wages for Dental Hygienists (SOC 29-1292) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The published annual P25 to P75 band is $86,330 to $102,340. Its width is $16,010, calculated from those two observations. These are wages for the mapped occupation, not a separate survey of Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH). Percentiles are not seniority levels. They do not identify a starting rate, a senior rate or what a particular candidate will accept.
Which duties should you settle before setting pay?
For dental hiring, spell out permitted clinical duties, the patient schedule and any production-pay formula. Confirm licensing and permits for the work state. The employee wage table does not measure practice ownership income or supply a premium for a particular procedure mix.
How does this area compare with the national observation?
The annual median for Dental Hygienists (SOC 29-1292) is $100,260 here and $98,100 nationally. The area median is $2,160 above the national figure. This subtraction is not a cost-of-living adjustment or a relocation allowance.
What do the nearby comparison markets show?
Kankakee, IL reports an annual median of $78,430 for Dental Hygienists. The absolute gap is $21,830. Niles, MI reports an annual median of $80,020 for Dental Hygienists. The absolute gap is $20,240. Each linked table retains its own area. These are occupation comparisons, not exact-title offers.
What can the industry rows tell you?
Offices of Other Health Practitioners (NAICS 621300) has a national annual median of $104,180 for Dental Hygienists. Offices of Dentists (NAICS 621200) has a national annual median of $98,280 for Dental Hygienists. National industry comparisons are not local title estimates. A hospital and an outpatient practice can assign different work even when the SOC is the same.
What changed between the two releases?
Dental Hygienists (SOC 29-1292) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN had an annual median of $98,030 in BLS OEWS May 2024; the BLS OEWS May 2025 median is $100,260. The absolute difference is $2,230. These are separate survey snapshots, not a forecast or a raise to apply to your budget.
Is this base salary or total compensation?
Neither. OEWS includes commissions and production bonuses as well as base rates. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, on-call pay, nonproduction bonuses and employer benefits. Keep sign-on and retention payments separate when they are nonproduction bonuses. Travel per-diem reimbursements and contractor receipts are not a published employee salary. Do not add production pay twice.
What else should you ask about this pay table?
Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) maps to Dental Hygienists (SOC 29-1292). The published occupation matches Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH). BLS wages are not a specific employer offer. The annual median in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $100,260. Similar titles can share this same SOC and therefore the same figures; that is not evidence that their duties or offers are identical.
Does BLS observe Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) separately?
Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) maps to Dental Hygienists (SOC 29-1292). The published occupation matches Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH). BLS wages are not a specific employer offer. The annual median in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $100,260. Similar titles can share this same SOC and therefore the same figures; that is not evidence that their duties or offers are identical.
Can you turn the percentile band into junior and senior pay?
The published annual P25 to P75 band is $86,330 to $102,340. Its width is $16,010, calculated from those two observations. BLS percentiles describe the wage distribution, not years of experience. We do not assign an interpolated percentile, seniority premium or pay forecast.
What should you put in the hiring brief?
For dental hiring, spell out permitted clinical duties, the patient schedule and any production-pay formula. Confirm licensing and permits for the work state. The employee wage table does not measure practice ownership income or supply a premium for a particular procedure mix. Tell us which tasks and scheduling terms you can change before using this wage comparison in a search.
What if a wage is missing or marked “or more”?
A missing cell stays unavailable. “Or more” appears only when the actual source marks that cell as top-coded; it is a lower bound, not an exact wage. Exact published numbers remain exact even when above a historical top-code amount. Tools label any fallback to a state or national row.
The RDH comparison for Chicago, IL uses 2024 Census reference points. Rural comparisons use unweighted county centers from fetched 2024 BLS definitions, or a disclosed state reference point if the group cannot be matched. These are not nearest-to-your-facility claims. Read the geography and wage definitions.
BLS occupation: Dental Hygienists.
The published occupation matches Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH). BLS wages are not a specific employer offer.
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN versus the nation
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median is $2,160 (2.2%) above the national median of $98,100.
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
- P10 to P90 published range
- P25 to P75 middle range
- P50 median
| Point | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $74,280 |
| 25th percentile | $86,330 |
| Median | $100,260 |
| 75th percentile | $102,340 |
| 90th percentile | $118,410 |
| Mean (average) | $95,740 |
United States
- P10 to P90 published range
- P25 to P75 middle range
- P50 median
| Point | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $74,880 |
| 25th percentile | $83,570 |
| Median | $98,100 |
| 75th percentile | $108,480 |
| 90th percentile | $126,050 |
| Mean (average) | $98,990 |
For Dental Hygienists in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, BLS reports a median of $100,260; the middle half of workers earned between $86,330 and $102,340 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
- P10 to P90 published range
- P25 to P75 middle range
- P50 median
| Point | Hourly wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35.71 |
| 25th percentile | $41.50 |
| Median | $48.20 |
| 75th percentile | $49.20 |
| 90th percentile | $56.93 |
| Mean (average) | $46.03 |
United States
- P10 to P90 published range
- P25 to P75 middle range
- P50 median
| Point | Hourly wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36.00 |
| 25th percentile | $40.18 |
| Median | $47.16 |
| 75th percentile | $52.16 |
| 90th percentile | $60.60 |
| Mean (average) | $47.59 |
For Dental Hygienists in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, BLS reports a median of $48.20; the middle half of workers earned between $41.50 and $49.20 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What BLS wages include and exclude
OEWS includes commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and employer benefits. It is neither pure base salary nor total compensation.
Included
- Base rates
- Commissions
- Cost-of-living allowances
- Deadheading pay
- Guaranteed pay
- Hazard pay
- Incentive pay
- Longevity pay
- Over-the-road pay (Mileage)
- Piece rates
- Portal-to-portal rates
- Production bonuses
- Tips
Excluded
- Attendance bonuses
- Back pay
- Clothing allowances
- Discount
- Draw
- Holiday bonus
- Holiday premium pay
- Jury duty pay
- Meal and lodging payments
- Merchandise discounts
- Non-production bonuses
- On-call pay
- Overtime pay
- Perquisites
- Profit-sharing payments
- Relocation allowances
- Severance pay
- Shift differentials
- Stock bonuses
- Tool/equipment allowances
- Tuition repayment
- Uniform allowance
- Weekend premium pay
- Year-end bonuses
Employment: 6,470 jobs. Location quotient: 1.00.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, BLS OEWS May 2025. SOC 29-1292 Dental Hygienists, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Published 2026-05-15. BLS release tables (find this SOC and area). Release notes. Methodology and retrieval dates. CSV
How has published pay changed since the last BLS release?
These are separate BLS estimates, not a wage growth forecast. Survey coverage and area boundaries can change. The table places the published median for Dental Hygienists in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN from BLS OEWS May 2024 next to BLS OEWS May 2025. A top-coded value is a floor, not an exact median.
| Pay basis | BLS OEWS May 2024 | BLS OEWS May 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| annual | $98,030 | $100,260 |
| hourly | $47.13 | $48.20 |
Prior release: 2024-05, published 2025-04-02. Current release: 2025-05, published 2026-05-15. A top-coded value is a floor, not an exact median.
What does this pay include, and what does it leave out?
OEWS counts base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It describes employee wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Employer benefits and self-employed earnings are outside these wage estimates. Compare the regular pay for the duties you need covered.
A BLS occupation can include different settings, shifts and levels; it does not price your exact schedule.
Overtime, shift differentials and on-call pay are excluded. If this job has a call rota or extra shifts, spell out those payments rather than treating the BLS median as the whole package.
Meal and lodging payments and relocation allowances are excluded. A travel per diem for those costs is not part of this wage. Keep it separate from the pay comparison.
Non-production bonuses are excluded. A sign-on or retention payment that is not tied to production should be discussed separately. BLS does not publish an amount to add for that payment.
BLS pay definitions. These notes do not add an estimated bonus or premium.
Nearby metros
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- Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) in Kankakee, IL
- Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) in Peoria, IL
- Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) in Rockford, IL
- Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) in Springfield, IL