2025 Illinois Minimum Wage
The 2025 Illinois Minimum Wage is $15.
Effective 2025-01-01Source: Your Rights Under Illinois Employment Laws (2025) (Illinois Department of Labor)Verified 2026-08-30
Compared with 2024
| Item | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $14 | $15 | +$1 (+7.1%) |
Who it applies to
Employers in Illinois with four or more employees; domestic workers are covered even if the employer has only one worker.
What changed this year, and why
Illinois raised its general minimum wage to $15 per hour, effective January 1, 2025, up from $14 per hour in 2024.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage for tipped employees in Illinois?
- Tipped employees have a separate, lower cash wage. If their tips combined with the employer's cash wage do not reach the full minimum wage, the employer must make up the difference.
- Is there a lower minimum wage for young workers?
- Yes. Youths who work fewer than a set number of hours per calendar year may be paid at a lower rate.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
The federal minimum wage rate on this page does not apply to every worker. Certain categories of employees may be paid a lower hourly rate under specific conditions. One such category is young workers: employees who are under 18 years of age may be paid a lower rate if they work fewer than 650 hours per calendar year. This provision recognizes that many of these workers are students or part-time employees whose work schedules are limited. Employers may pay these eligible youths a reduced hourly wage rather than the full minimum wage, but only as long as the youth remains under 18 and the annual hours worked stay below the 650-hour threshold. If either condition is not met - for example, if the worker turns 18 or reaches 650 hours of work in the calendar year - the full minimum wage rate must be paid. Other groups, such as tipped employees, may also be paid under different wage rules, but each group has its own set of conditions that must be strictly followed.
Applies to youths (under 18) working fewer than 650 hours per calendar year.
Your Rights Under Illinois Employment Laws (2025) (Illinois Department of Labor)
Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate
Under Illinois overtime law, most hourly employees and some salaried employees must be paid one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for every hour worked beyond 40 in a workweek. The regular rate is the employee's normal hourly earnings, so the overtime premium varies from worker to worker. A workweek is a fixed, recurring period and employers may not average hours across two or more workweeks to avoid paying the overtime premium. Only hours actually worked count toward the 40-hour threshold. Employers that fail to pay the overtime premium may be subject to penalties and back-wage liability enforced by the Department of Labor.
Most hourly employees and some salaried employees are covered by the overtime law and must be compensated at time and one -half their regular pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
Your Rights Under Illinois Employment Laws (2025) (Illinois Department of Labor)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
In Illinois, workers who have questions about the minimum wage rate or who believe their employer is not paying the required wages can contact the Illinois Department of Labor to file a complaint or seek information. The department maintains offices in Springfield, Chicago, and Marion where workers can go in person. Workers can also reach the department by telephone or visit the department website at www.labor.illinois.gov for a complete text of the state labor laws. The Illinois Department of Labor is responsible for enforcing state labor and employment laws, providing compliance assistance to employers, and increasing public awareness of workplace protections. Through enforcement, education, and community partnerships, the department works to ensure that workers in Illinois are paid what they are owed and that employers who follow the law remain competitive.
For more information or to file a complaint, contact the Department at:
Your Rights Under Illinois Employment Laws (2025) (Illinois Department of Labor)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
In Illinois, employers may count tips toward the minimum wage obligation for tipped employees. Tipped employees in Illinois receive a base wage of $9 per hour from their employer. However, if an employee's tips combined with the wages from the employer do not equal the full minimum wage of $15 per hour, the employer must make up the difference. This means that no tipped employee in Illinois should receive total compensation below $15 per hour for all hours worked. The employer bears the responsibility of ensuring that the combined total of the tipped wage and actual tips received meets or exceeds the state minimum wage. Workers in Illinois who are tipped employees and believe their employer is not meeting this requirement should contact the Illinois Department of Labor for assistance.
$9.00 PER HOUR Applies to tipped employees. If an employee’s tips combined with the wages from the employer do not equal the minimum wage, the employer must make up the difference.
Your Rights Under Illinois Employment Laws (2025) (Illinois Department of Labor)
What an employer may deduct from your pay
In Illinois, unauthorized deductions from paychecks are not allowed except as specified by law. This means that an employer in Illinois cannot reduce an employee's pay below the minimum wage of $15 per hour through deductions unless the deduction is specifically authorized by statute. The Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act governs what may and may not be deducted from an employee's wages. Additionally, employers in Illinois must reimburse employees for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred during the scope of employment and related to services performed for the employer. Employees must submit reimbursement requests within 30 calendar days unless the employer's policy allows additional time. Workers in Illinois who believe their employer has made improper deductions from their paychecks should contact the Illinois Department of Labor to file a complaint and seek assistance in recovering wages that may be owed.
Unauthorized deductions from paychecks are not allowed except as specif ied by law. • Employers must reimburse employees for all necessar y expenditures or losses incurred by an employee during the scope of employment and related to ser vices per formed for the employer. Employee must submit reimbursement request within 30 calendar days unless an employer policy allows for additional time to submit.
Your Rights Under Illinois Employment Laws (2025) (Illinois Department of Labor)
How each figure was verified
Each number below was read from a stored copy of the document named beside it, and checked to occur word for word in the quoted sentence. The digest is of that stored text.
Your Rights Under Illinois Employment Laws (2025) (Illinois Department of Labor)
- Hourly
Minimum Wage & Overtime Effective Jan. 1 2025 $15.00 PER HOUR
Other years
Every Illinois Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state