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RESEARCH · MINIMUM WAGE

Chicago Minimum Wage 2026

Reviewed by Kevin Marshall, CPA

Chicago currently uses $17.05 per hour. This page keeps the legal wage floor separate from paycheck withholding, then shows how that local rate compares with the statewide floor and what a full-time year at that wage can look like using ExactTakeHome's 2026 tax assumptions.

Current Chicago minimum wage in 2026

As of July 1, 2026, the current local wage floor for Chicago is $17.05 per hour. ExactTakeHome verified this page against the Berkeley inventory of local ordinances and the current official local-government source linked below.

The statewide comparison point for Illinois is $15.00 per hour. That puts Chicago at +$2.05 above the statewide reference rate used on the state minimum wage page. Relative to the federal $7.25 floor, this local wage is +$9.80 above the federal baseline.

Chicago publishes a separate tipped minimum wage. This page uses the standard non-tipped rate for employers with four or more employees. Review the official local source each update cycle because local wage ordinances often move on a different schedule than statewide rates.

What full-time work at this wage looks like

Annualizing the wage at 40 hours per week for 52 weeks produces an estimated gross pay of $35,464 per year, or about $682 per week before taxes and deductions.

Using ExactTakeHome's 2026 withholding assumptions for a single filer with standard withholding and no pre-tax deductions, that annualized wage produces an estimated take-home pay of $28,920 per year, about $2,410 per month or $1,112 per biweekly paycheck. That implies an overall effective withholding rate of 18.4%.

This comparison uses the state tax system modeled for the same jurisdiction, not any city-specific employer policy or industry carve-out.

How to use this page with the rest of the site

A local minimum wage page answers a labor-law question first: what is the current legal floor where this work happens? Once you know that, move into the broader calculator network for paycheck-level estimates, state tax context, and salary comparisons.

Other local minimum wage pages in Illinois

If you are comparing nearby labor markets, use the other verified city and county wage pages in Illinoisto see which local ordinances sit above or below the statewide floor before moving into salary or paycheck comparisons.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Chicago currently uses $17.05 per hour. This page reflects the rate in effect on July 1, 2026 and links both the Berkeley inventory entry and the official local source used for verification.

Chicago is +$2.05 above the Illinois statewide reference rate used on ExactTakeHome.

Use the Illinois calculator for your filing status and pay frequency. The annualized example on this page assumes 40 hours per week, single filer, standard withholding, and no extra deductions.