Waiters and Waitresses
Median $15.00 an hour in Illinois · 72,900 jobs
Illinois · 2026 take-home pay
$15 an hour after taxes in Illinois
At $15 an hour in Illinois you keep about $12.43 of every hour — $497 a week, $2,154 a month or $25,850 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Illinois income tax. Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax, and its minimum wage is $15.00 an hour.
Where $15 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $31,200 | $600 | $15.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$1,564 | −$30 | −$0.75 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$1,934 | −$37 | −$0.93 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$452 | −$9 | −$0.22 |
| Illinois income tax | −$1,400 | −$27 | −$0.67 |
| Take-home pay | $25,850 | $497 | $12.43 |
Effective tax rate 17.1% · federal bracket 12% · Illinois bracket 4.95%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $600.00 | $497.11 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,200.00 | $994.21 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,300.00 | $1,077.07 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,600.00 | $2,154.13 |
$15 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Illinois for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $15 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.
| Schedule | Gross a week | Take-home a week | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week* | $300 | $265 | $13,779 |
| 30 hours a week | $450 | $382 | $19,866 |
| 40 hours a week | $600 | $497 | $25,850 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $713 | $582 | $30,260 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $825 | $667 | $34,671 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $15 an hour good pay in Illinois?
- Minimum wage: $15 an hour is Illinois's minimum wage. Employers with 4 or more employees. Chicago sets a higher minimum.
- Among Illinois workers: It's below the 10th percentile of hourly pay in Illinois (BLS, May 2025) — fewer than about 1 in 10 workers earn less. The median is $24.98 an hour.
- Local prices: Illinois's price level is 100% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $25,850 a year buys about what $25,860 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $780 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,077 a month for needs, $646 for wants and $431 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Illinois that pay about $15 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Illinois is within 4% of $15 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Bartenders
Median $15.00 an hour in Illinois · 43,010 jobs
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
Median $15.00 an hour in Illinois · 21,290 jobs
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Median $15.00 an hour in Illinois · 16,500 jobs
Gambling Dealers
Median $15.00 an hour in Illinois · 2,470 jobs
Actors
Median $15.00 an hour in Illinois · 1,060 jobs
How Illinois compares on $15 an hour
Illinois ranks 49th of 51 for take-home pay on $15 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $12.43 | $25,850 | $15.00 | — |
| Iowa | $12.84 | $26,715 | $7.25 | +$865 a year |
| Indiana | $12.67 | $26,358 | $7.25 | +$508 a year |
| Kentucky | $12.63 | $26,275 | $7.25 | +$425 a year |
| Missouri | $12.85 | $26,720 | $15.00 | +$870 a year |
| Wisconsin | $12.79 | $26,599 | $7.25 | +$749 a year |
How the federal tax on $31,200 ($15 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $31,200 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $15,100. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $2,700 | $324 |
| Total | $15,100 | $1,564 |
How the Illinois income tax on $31,200 ($15 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $31,200 of Illinois wages minus $2,925 in exemptions = $28,275.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 4.95% | $28,275 | $1,400 |
| Total | $28,275 | $1,400 |
Common questions
How much is $15 an hour after taxes in Illinois?
About $12.43 for every hour you work, or $25,850 a year at 40 hours a week ($31,200 gross). Taxes take about 17.1% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $15 an hour a week after taxes in Illinois?
About $497 a week at 40 hours, from $600 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $994.
How much is $15 an hour a month after taxes in Illinois?
About $2,154 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,600 gross.
Is $15 an hour good pay in Illinois?
$15 an hour is Illinois's minimum wage. It's below the 10th percentile of hourly pay in Illinois (BLS, May 2025) — fewer than about 1 in 10 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Illinois is $24.98. After taxes and local prices, $25,850 a year buys about what $25,860 would at national-average prices.
Is Illinois a high-tax state for $15 an hour?
It ranks 49th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $15 an hour. The most you'd keep is $27,249 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $25,274 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Illinois
- $12 an hour in Illinois
- $13 an hour in Illinois
- $14 an hour in Illinois
- $16 an hour in Illinois
- $17 an hour in Illinois
- $18 an hour in Illinois
- $19 an hour in Illinois
$15 an hour in every state · $30,000 a year in Illinois · $35,000 a year in Illinois · Illinois paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Illinois's income tax rules (methodology). Local income taxes are not included. Minimum wages: U.S. Department of Labor. Wage distribution and jobs: BLS OEWS May 2025. Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities.
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.