Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Median $25.75 an hour in Illinois · 10,240 jobs
Illinois · 2026 take-home pay
$26 an hour after taxes in Illinois
At $26 an hour in Illinois you keep about $20.72 of every hour — $829 a week, $3,592 a month or $43,101 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 $26 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $54,080 | $1,040 | $26.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$4,310 | −$83 | −$2.07 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$3,353 | −$64 | −$1.61 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$784 | −$15 | −$0.38 |
| Illinois income tax | −$2,532 | −$49 | −$1.22 |
| Take-home pay | $43,101 | $829 | $20.72 |
Effective tax rate 20.3% · federal bracket 12% · Illinois bracket 4.95%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $1,040.00 | $828.87 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $2,080.00 | $1,657.73 |
| Twice a month (24) | $2,253.33 | $1,795.88 |
| Monthly (12) | $4,506.67 | $3,591.76 |
$26 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Illinois for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $26 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* | $520 | $436 | $22,684 |
| 30 hours a week | $780 | $633 | $32,907 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,040 | $829 | $43,101 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $1,235 | $976 | $50,747 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,430 | $1,108 | $57,606 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $26 an hour good pay in Illinois?
- Minimum wage: $26 an hour is 1.7 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 52nd percentile of hourly pay in Illinois (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 52 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 $43,101 a year buys about what $43,119 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,352 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,796 a month for needs, $1,078 for wants and $718 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Illinois that pay about $26 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Illinois is within 4% of $26 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Median $25.38 an hour in Illinois · 8,030 jobs
Automotive Body and Related Repairers
Median $25.01 an hour in Illinois · 5,750 jobs
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other
Median $26.82 an hour in Illinois · 5,350 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers
Median $25.65 an hour in Illinois · 3,460 jobs
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
Median $26.63 an hour in Illinois · 1,910 jobs
How Illinois compares on $26 an hour
Illinois ranks 46th of 51 for take-home pay on $26 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 | $20.72 | $43,101 | $15.00 | — |
| Iowa | $21.26 | $44,230 | $7.25 | +$1,129 a year |
| Indiana | $21.19 | $44,067 | $7.25 | +$966 a year |
| Kentucky | $21.09 | $43,858 | $7.25 | +$757 a year |
| Missouri | $21.17 | $44,029 | $15.00 | +$928 a year |
| Wisconsin | $21.08 | $43,855 | $7.25 | +$754 a year |
How the federal tax on $54,080 ($26 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $54,080 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $37,980. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $25,580 | $3,070 |
| Total | $37,980 | $4,310 |
How the Illinois income tax on $54,080 ($26 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $54,080 of Illinois wages minus $2,925 in exemptions = $51,155.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 4.95% | $51,155 | $2,532 |
| Total | $51,155 | $2,532 |
Common questions
How much is $26 an hour after taxes in Illinois?
About $20.72 for every hour you work, or $43,101 a year at 40 hours a week ($54,080 gross). Taxes take about 20.3% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $26 an hour a week after taxes in Illinois?
About $829 a week at 40 hours, from $1,040 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,658.
How much is $26 an hour a month after taxes in Illinois?
About $3,592 a month at 40 hours a week, from $4,507 gross.
Is $26 an hour good pay in Illinois?
$26 an hour is 1.7 times Illinois's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 52nd percentile of hourly pay in Illinois (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 52 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Illinois is $24.98. After taxes and local prices, $43,101 a year buys about what $43,119 would at national-average prices.
Is Illinois a high-tax state for $26 an hour?
It ranks 46th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $26 an hour. The most you'd keep is $45,633 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $41,736 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Illinois
- $22 an hour in Illinois
- $23 an hour in Illinois
- $24 an hour in Illinois
- $25 an hour in Illinois
- $27 an hour in Illinois
- $28 an hour in Illinois
- $29 an hour in Illinois
- $30 an hour in Illinois
$26 an hour in every state · $50,000 a year in Illinois · $55,000 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.