Illinois Minimum Wage 2026: $15.00 Statewide, Higher in Chicago and Cook County
Illinois’s statewide minimum wage is $15.00 an hour, effective since January 1, 2025, with no further statewide increase currently scheduled. Chicago and Cook County both set their own higher local minimums and adjust them every July 1st — so an employer in either jurisdiction is paying above the statewide number, not at it.
Illinois at a glance
| Current rate | $15.00 / hour (statewide) |
|---|---|
| Effective | January 1, 2025 |
| Tipped cash wage | $9.00 / hour (60% of full minimum) |
| Next scheduled change | None statewide — Chicago & Cook County adjust every July 1 |
Chicago and Cook County run higher
| Location | Regular rate | Tipped rate |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago (4+ employees) | $17.05 | $12.96 |
| Cook County | $15.40 | $9.25 |
Both jurisdictions adjust annually via CPI, capped at 2.5% a year, and Chicago is phasing out its tip credit entirely by 2028 — the gap between Chicago’s tipped and regular rate is narrower than the statewide gap for exactly that reason.
DuPage County minimum wage and the minimum wage in Evanston
Two suburban questions come up often, and the answers differ because only one of them sits in Cook County.
DuPage County minimum wage
DuPage County has no county minimum wage ordinance, so employers there pay the Illinois rate: $15.00 an hour for workers 18 and older and $9.00 for tipped employees. Some towns straddle the DuPage–Cook county line. For a worksite on the Cook County side, check whether the Cook County ordinance applies there; Cook County notes that certain municipalities have opted out.
Minimum wage in Evanston
Evanston is in Cook County and has no minimum wage ordinance of its own, so the Cook County rate applies: $15.40 an hour and $9.25 for tipped workers, effective July 1, 2026. The Cook County ordinance does not apply to employees under 18.
What this means for hiring
If the role is physically in Chicago or Cook County, the local rate applies, not the $15.00 statewide figure — and Chicago’s shrinking tip credit means a tipped role there needs a higher cash wage each year even if the full minimum doesn’t change. Outside those two jurisdictions, $15.00 is the number, and there’s no other Illinois city currently running its own higher minimum. The state rate has two lower tiers, per the Illinois Department of Labor: $13.00 for workers under 18 who work fewer than 650 hours a year for an employer, and $14.50 for new non-tipped employees 18 and older during their first 90 days with the employer.
For breaks, overtime, final paychecks and hiring rules in Illinois, see our Illinois labor laws guide for employers.
Frequently asked questions
Does DuPage County have its own minimum wage?
No. DuPage County has not adopted a local minimum wage, so the Illinois statewide rate applies: $15.00 an hour for workers 18 and older, $9.00 for tipped employees, and $13.00 for workers under 18 who work fewer than 650 hours a year.
What is the minimum wage in Evanston in 2026?
Evanston follows the Cook County minimum wage: $15.40 an hour and $9.25 for tipped workers, effective July 1, 2026. Those rates run through the next Cook County adjustment on July 1, 2027.
Is Illinois minimum wage going up?
Not statewide. The Illinois Department of Labor lists $15.00 an hour for workers 18 and older, $9.00 for tipped workers and $13.00 for under-18s working fewer than 650 hours a year. $15.00 was the last step of the schedule in the Minimum Wage Law, and the law has no automatic inflation increase, so a higher state rate would take new legislation. Local rates do move: Chicago and Cook County adjust every July 1, and Chicago’s tipped wage rises each year as its tip credit is phased out.
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