Illinois runs its own overtime law that mirrors federal rules: 1.5 times pay after 40 hours a week, enforced by the Illinois Department of Labor. Enter your rate and hours for an Illinois paycheck estimate.
Rules verified November 2026 · Sources: U.S. Department of Labor
By Mudassir Khan
Illinois Minimum Wage Law, federal style math. Each workweek stands alone.
Illinois gives you only one year to file a wage claim with IDOL, so do not sit on unpaid overtime. Estimates only. Not tax, legal, or payroll advice. Confirm with your employer or a qualified professional.
The Illinois Minimum Wage Law requires 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek for nonexempt workers. It covers employers with 4 or more employees, and the math matches the federal rule exactly.
Complaints to the Illinois Department of Labor must be filed within one year of the date the wages were due, though IDOL can look back up to 3 years once you file. The private lawsuit route under the Wage Payment and Collection Act gives you 3 years.
The statewide minimum is $15.00 an hour in 2026, but Chicago requires $17.05 from July 1, 2026 and suburban Cook County $15.40. Your overtime rate scales with whichever floor covers your work location.
Gross = (40 × rate) + (hours over 40 × rate × 1.5)
| Rule | Illinois |
|---|---|
| Overtime rule | Illinois Minimum Wage Law: 1.5 times pay after 40 hours in a workweek |
| Minimum wage 2026 | $15.00 statewide; $17.05 in Chicago; $15.40 in Cook County |
| State income tax | Yes, flat 4.95 percent, no local income tax layer |
| Claim agency | Illinois Department of Labor |
| Claim deadline | 1 year to file with IDOL, 3 years for a lawsuit |
| Worker | Math | Gross |
|---|---|---|
| $22/hr, 48 hours | $880 + 8 × $33 | $1,144.00 |
| $15/hr, 55 hours | $600 + 15 × $22.50 | $937.50 |
| $17.05/hr (Chicago minimum), 45 hours | $682 + 5 × $25.58 | $809.88 |
| $20/hr, 40 hours | 40 × $20, no overtime | $800.00 |
Example 3 shows the Chicago effect: the same 45 hour week pays $809.88 at the Chicago floor versus $750.00 at the state floor, because every overtime hour is worth 1.5 times the higher base rate.
Late wages cost employers extra. The Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act hits late paying employers with a penalty of 5 percent of the unpaid amount for every month the wages stay outstanding. Overtime that sits unpaid for three months effectively costs the employer 15 percent more.
One Illinois, two wage maps. The $15.00 statewide rate has been frozen since January 1, 2025 with no increase scheduled, but Chicago adjusts every July 1 and Cook County sets its own rate too. Always match the rate to the physical work location, not the employer's headquarters.
Flat tax, simple math. Illinois taxes all wages at a flat 4.95 percent, and no city, including Chicago, adds a local income tax. Your state tax on overtime is one easy multiplication.
Illinois overtime math matches the federal baseline explained in the FLSA overtime rules guide. For a state that runs on federal law alone instead, see our Texas overtime calculator.
Yes. The Illinois Minimum Wage Law requires 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, mirroring the federal FLSA. It applies to employers with 4 or more employees.
$15.00 an hour statewide, unchanged since January 1, 2025. Chicago sets its own rate of $17.05 an hour from July 1, 2026 for employers with 4 or more employees, and Cook County outside Chicago is $15.40.
With the Illinois Department of Labor. File within one year of the date the wages were due. The lawsuit route under the Wage Payment and Collection Act gives you three years.
No. Illinois has no daily overtime rule. Hours over 40 in the workweek earn 1.5 times the regular rate regardless of how any single day was scheduled.
Yes. Illinois taxes wages, including overtime, at a flat 4.95 percent rate. Chicago adds no extra income tax layer, so Chicago and downstate workers face the same state rate.
Yes, if nonexempt. A salary alone does not remove overtime rights in Illinois. Only employees who pass the exempt duties and salary tests can be denied overtime pay.
Rates and rules checked against these sources in November 2026.
Want the same math without the Illinois framing? Use the overtime pay calculator. Curious what the no tax on overtime deduction does to an Illinois paycheck? Try the deduction calculator and remember the 4.95 percent state tax still applies.