Illinois Minimum Wage 2026: $15.00 an Hour, Local Rates and Take-Home Pay
The Illinois minimum wage is $15.00 an hour since January 1, 2025 (source). No increase is scheduled for 2027: $15 (2025) was the seventh and final step of the 2019 law; no indexing or further increase enacted (source). Full time, that is $31,200 a year before tax and $25,847 after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare and Illinois income tax for a single filer.
Rates checked against official sources on November 4, 2026
Illinois minimum wage by year
| Effective | Hourly rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2024 | $14.00 | source |
| January 1, 2025 | $15.00 | source |
Other Illinois rates in 2026
| Who | Hourly rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Youth under 18 (fewer than 650 hours/calendar year with the employer) (from January 1, 2025) | $13.00 | source |
| New hires 18+ (non-tipped), first 90 days (from January 1, 2025) | $14.50 | source |
Tipped workers: a cash wage of at least $9.00 an hour, with tips making up the rest of the minimum (a tip credit of up to $6.00). Tip credit up to 40% of the minimum wage; employer makes up any shortfall to $15.00 (source).
Illinois Minimum Wage Law applies to employers with 4 or more employees (excluding family members), per DOL. The statewide rate has been $15.00 since 2025-01-01 with no scheduled change.
City and county minimum wages in Illinois
Some local governments set a higher minimum for work done within their limits. The rates below are the ones published by the state or the local government (retrieved November 4, 2026).
| Place | 2026 rate | Since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago (employers with 4+ employees) (Tipped $12.96. Indexed each July 1 by CPI or 2.5%, whichever is lower; July 2027 rate not yet published.) | $17.05 | July 1, 2026 | source |
| Cook County (where a municipality has not set its own rate or opted out) (Tipped $9.25. Adjusted each July 1 (2.5% cap used for 2026).) | $15.40 | July 1, 2026 | source |
Take-home pay on the Illinois minimum wage
| Pay before tax, a year | $31,200 |
| Federal income tax | $1,567 |
| Social Security and Medicare (7.65%) | $2,387 |
| Illinois income tax | $1,400 |
| Take-home pay, a year | $25,847 |
| … a month | $2,154 |
| … an hour | $12.43 |
Your pay at $15.00 an hour, after tax
Tax figures: QuantCalc’s tax engine (federal 2.6.0, state 1.26.0), 2026 tax year, a single filer aged 30 with wages from one job, no dependents and the standard deduction. Local income taxes are not taken off, except the county income tax in Indiana and Maryland, which the state engine adds at a typical county rate; state payroll taxes (disability or paid-leave insurance) are not taken off either. Not tax or legal advice: an employer’s size, industry or location can set a different minimum, so check with the state labor department. How each tax line is computed, with its source: federal, state.
Overtime and salaried workers
Hours over 40 in a workweek are paid at one and a half times the regular rate under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor); for 2026 the federal return deducts the premium half of that pay (no tax on overtime calculator).
Federal law: an exempt executive, administrative or professional employee must be paid at least $684 a week ($35,568 a year) on a salary basis (U.S. Department of Labor).
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in Illinois in 2026?
- The Illinois minimum wage is $15.00 an hour since January 1, 2025 (source).
- Will the Illinois minimum wage go up in 2027?
- No increase is scheduled as of November 4, 2026 (source).
- How much is the Illinois minimum wage a year?
- At $15.00 an hour for 40 hours a week and 52 weeks, $31,200 before tax. After 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare and Illinois income tax, a single filer keeps $25,847, $2,154 a month.
- What is the tipped minimum wage in Illinois?
- $9.00 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring the total to at least the minimum wage; otherwise the employer makes up the difference (source).