Illinois Minimum Wage 2026
Illinois' minimum wage of $15 in 2026 is among the highest in the United States, and it is significantly higher than than the base federal minimum wage of $7.25 still used in 20 states.
Federal 
Illinois Assuming a standard 40-hour work week, the weekly minimum wage in Illinois is $600. For full-time employees working 52 weeks per year, the annual minimum wage in Illinois is $31.2K.
Based on $15/hr minimum
Based on $15/hr minimum
The minimum wage rate of Illinois and its neighboring states ranges from $7.25 to $15, with an average of $10.85. Illinois, at $15, has the highest hourly minimum wage within this group of states. Michigan ($13.73), Ohio ($11), Indiana ($7.25), and Wisconsin ($7.25) have lower hourly rates than Illinois.
Illinois While the general minimum wage is $15 per hour in Illinois, there are several exceptions where workers may legally receive less than this amount:
Tipped workers have a minimum wage in Illinois of $9
Workers under 18 working less than 650 hours per calendar year have a minimum wage of $13
Employees whose primary duty consists of the management of the enterprise in which the employee is employed or of a customarily recognized department or subdivision thereof; and includes the customary and regular direction of the work of two or more other employees therein are exempt from state wage legislation.
Employees whose primary duty consists of the performance of office or non-manual work directly related to management policies or general business operations of the employer or the employer’s customers; and which includes work requiring the exercise of discretion and independent judgment are exempt from state minimum wage legislation.
Includes Learned Professionals; whose primary duty consists of the performance of work requiring knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction and study; and consistently exercises discretion and judgment, and Creative Professionals; who perform work requiring invention, imagination, or talent in a recognized field of artistic endeavor. Both categories are exempt from state state minimum wage legislation.
Employees whose primary duty of performing work that requires theoretical and practical application of highly-specialized knowledge in computer systems analysis, programming, and software engineering, and employed and engaged in these activities as a computer systems analyst, computer programmer, software engineer, or other similarly skilled worker in the computer software field, as provided in which includes work requiring the consistent exercise of discretion and judgment, and who earn more than $684 per week or $27.63 per hour are exempt from state minimum wage legislation.
An employee who is employed for the purpose of and customarily and regularly engaged away from the employer’s place or places of business in making sales; or obtaining orders or contracts for services or for the use of facilities for which a consideration will be paid by the client or customer; and who does not devote more than 20 percent of the hours worked by nonexempt employees of the employer to activities that are not incidental to and in conjunction with the employee’s own outside sales or solicitations is exempt from state minimum wage legislation.
One city in Illinois has specific minimum wage exceptions as well:
Illinois' cost of living index for 2025 is 94.7, which places it as the 29th most expensive state to live in the United States.
National 100
Illinois 94.7
Assuming a standard 40-hour work week, the real wage in Illinois, adjusted for the state’s cost of living index of 94.7, is approximately $15.84 per hour. This means that while the nominal minimum wage is $15 per hour, the purchasing power of those earnings is higher due to Illinois' lower cost of living expenses. For full-time employees, the real weekly earnings amount to roughly $633.58, translating to an annual purchasing power of $32,946.15 when working 52 weeks per year.
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According to the most recent data, the median household income in the United States has seen a significant increase in 2023.
Illinois follows a scheduled minimum wage increase set by state law, with annual adjustments that have steadily raised the wage floor for workers across the state since 2020.
