Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Median $19.50 an hour in Illinois · 195,390 jobs
Illinois · 2026 take-home pay
$20 an hour after taxes in Illinois
At $20 an hour in Illinois you keep about $16.20 of every hour — $648 a week, $2,808 a month or $33,691 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 $20 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $41,600 | $800 | $20.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,812 | −$54 | −$1.35 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,579 | −$50 | −$1.24 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$603 | −$12 | −$0.29 |
| Illinois income tax | −$1,914 | −$37 | −$0.92 |
| Take-home pay | $33,691 | $648 | $16.20 |
Effective tax rate 19% · federal bracket 12% · Illinois bracket 4.95%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $800.00 | $647.91 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,600.00 | $1,295.81 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,733.33 | $1,403.80 |
| Monthly (12) | $3,466.67 | $2,807.60 |
$20 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Illinois for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $20 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* | $400 | $343 | $17,854 |
| 30 hours a week | $600 | $497 | $25,850 |
| 40 hours a week | $800 | $648 | $33,691 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $950 | $761 | $39,572 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,100 | $874 | $45,454 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $20 an hour good pay in Illinois?
- Minimum wage: $20 an hour is 1.3 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 32nd percentile of hourly pay in Illinois (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 32 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 $33,691 a year buys about what $33,705 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,040 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,404 a month for needs, $842 for wants and $562 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Illinois that pay about $20 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Illinois is within 4% of $20 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Median $20.75 an hour in Illinois · 29,400 jobs
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
Median $19.67 an hour in Illinois · 22,420 jobs
Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
Median $20.42 an hour in Illinois · 13,550 jobs
Production Workers, All Other
Median $20.06 an hour in Illinois · 9,240 jobs
Parts Salespersons
Median $20.31 an hour in Illinois · 8,500 jobs
How Illinois compares on $20 an hour
Illinois ranks 49th of 51 for take-home pay on $20 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 | $16.20 | $33,691 | $15.00 | — |
| Iowa | $16.67 | $34,677 | $7.25 | +$986 a year |
| Indiana | $16.54 | $34,408 | $7.25 | +$717 a year |
| Kentucky | $16.47 | $34,267 | $7.25 | +$576 a year |
| Missouri | $16.63 | $34,588 | $15.00 | +$897 a year |
| Wisconsin | $16.56 | $34,443 | $7.25 | +$752 a year |
How the federal tax on $41,600 ($20 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $41,600 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $25,500. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $13,100 | $1,572 |
| Total | $25,500 | $2,812 |
How the Illinois income tax on $41,600 ($20 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $41,600 of Illinois wages minus $2,925 in exemptions = $38,675.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 4.95% | $38,675 | $1,914 |
| Total | $38,675 | $1,914 |
Common questions
How much is $20 an hour after taxes in Illinois?
About $16.20 for every hour you work, or $33,691 a year at 40 hours a week ($41,600 gross). Taxes take about 19% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $20 an hour a week after taxes in Illinois?
About $648 a week at 40 hours, from $800 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,296.
How much is $20 an hour a month after taxes in Illinois?
About $2,808 a month at 40 hours a week, from $3,467 gross.
Is $20 an hour good pay in Illinois?
$20 an hour is 1.3 times Illinois's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 32nd percentile of hourly pay in Illinois (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 32 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Illinois is $24.98. After taxes and local prices, $33,691 a year buys about what $33,705 would at national-average prices.
Is Illinois a high-tax state for $20 an hour?
It ranks 49th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $20 an hour. The most you'd keep is $35,606 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $32,757 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Illinois
- $16 an hour in Illinois
- $17 an hour in Illinois
- $18 an hour in Illinois
- $19 an hour in Illinois
- $21 an hour in Illinois
- $22 an hour in Illinois
- $23 an hour in Illinois
- $24 an hour in Illinois
$20 an hour in every state · $40,000 a year in Illinois · $45,000 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.