Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Median $18.30 an hour in Illinois · 134,100 jobs
Illinois · 2026 take-home pay
$18 an hour after taxes in Illinois
At $18 an hour in Illinois you keep about $14.69 of every hour — $588 a week, $2,546 a month or $30,555 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 $18 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $37,440 | $720 | $18.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,313 | −$44 | −$1.11 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,321 | −$45 | −$1.12 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$543 | −$10 | −$0.26 |
| Illinois income tax | −$1,708 | −$33 | −$0.82 |
| Take-home pay | $30,555 | $588 | $14.69 |
Effective tax rate 18.4% · federal bracket 12% · Illinois bracket 4.95%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $720.00 | $587.59 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,440.00 | $1,175.17 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,560.00 | $1,273.11 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,120.00 | $2,546.21 |
$18 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Illinois for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $18 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* | $360 | $312 | $16,244 |
| 30 hours a week | $540 | $452 | $23,489 |
| 40 hours a week | $720 | $588 | $30,555 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $855 | $689 | $35,848 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $990 | $791 | $41,141 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $18 an hour good pay in Illinois?
- Minimum wage: $18 an hour is 1.2 times Illinois's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. Employers with 4 or more employees. Chicago sets a higher minimum.
- Among Illinois workers: It's about the 23rd percentile of hourly pay in Illinois (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 23 in 100 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 $30,555 a year buys about what $30,567 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $936 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,273 a month for needs, $764 for wants and $509 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Illinois that pay about $18 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Illinois is within 4% of $18 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Stockers and Order Fillers
Median $18.11 an hour in Illinois · 109,240 jobs
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $18.18 an hour in Illinois · 93,760 jobs
Cooks, Restaurant
Median $18.07 an hour in Illinois · 53,540 jobs
Receptionists and Information Clerks
Median $17.98 an hour in Illinois · 40,370 jobs
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $17.49 an hour in Illinois · 26,150 jobs
How Illinois compares on $18 an hour
Illinois ranks 49th of 51 for take-home pay on $18 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 | $14.69 | $30,555 | $15.00 | — |
| Iowa | $15.14 | $31,492 | $7.25 | +$937 a year |
| Indiana | $14.99 | $31,188 | $7.25 | +$633 a year |
| Kentucky | $14.94 | $31,070 | $7.25 | +$515 a year |
| Missouri | $15.12 | $31,441 | $15.00 | +$886 a year |
| Wisconsin | $15.05 | $31,305 | $7.25 | +$750 a year |
How the federal tax on $37,440 ($18 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $37,440 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $21,340. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $8,940 | $1,073 |
| Total | $21,340 | $2,313 |
How the Illinois income tax on $37,440 ($18 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $37,440 of Illinois wages minus $2,925 in exemptions = $34,515.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 4.95% | $34,515 | $1,708 |
| Total | $34,515 | $1,708 |
Common questions
How much is $18 an hour after taxes in Illinois?
About $14.69 for every hour you work, or $30,555 a year at 40 hours a week ($37,440 gross). Taxes take about 18.4% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $18 an hour a week after taxes in Illinois?
About $588 a week at 40 hours, from $720 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,175.
How much is $18 an hour a month after taxes in Illinois?
About $2,546 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,120 gross.
Is $18 an hour good pay in Illinois?
$18 an hour is 1.2 times Illinois's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 23rd percentile of hourly pay in Illinois (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 23 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Illinois is $24.98. After taxes and local prices, $30,555 a year buys about what $30,567 would at national-average prices.
Is Illinois a high-tax state for $18 an hour?
It ranks 49th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $18 an hour. The most you'd keep is $32,263 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $29,764 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Illinois
- $14 an hour in Illinois
- $15 an hour in Illinois
- $16 an hour in Illinois
- $17 an hour in Illinois
- $19 an hour in Illinois
- $20 an hour in Illinois
- $21 an hour in Illinois
- $22 an hour in Illinois
$18 an hour in every state · $35,000 a year in Illinois · $40,000 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.