Illinois Minimum Salary For Exempt Employees 2021
Illinois employers must pay exempt employees at least $13.84 per hour if they are salaried and not paid on an hourly basis. The minimum salary for exempt employees is adjusted every year by the state of Illinois.
Illinois Minimum Salary For Exempt Employees 2021
2022 Hourly Minimum Wage
$12.00 / hour
Weekly Minimum Wage1
$480.00 / 40-hr week
Yearly Minimum Wage2
$24,960.00 / year
Illinois’ state minimum wage rate is $12.00 per hour. This is greater than the Federal Minimum Wage of $7.25. You are entitled to be paid the higher state minimum wage. The minimum wage applies to most employees in Illinois, with limited exceptions including tipped employees, some student workers, and other exempt occupations.†
The Illinois minimum wage was last changed in 2008, when it was raised $4.25 from $7.75 to $12.00.
The Illinois minimum wage is $12.00 per hour. Pursuant to Public Act 101-0001 New employees (first 90 days of employment) over the age of 18 may be paid up to 50 cents less per hour. Beginning, January 1, 2020, if a worker under 18 works more than 650 hours for the employer during any calendar year, they must be paid the regular (over 18 wage). Tipped employees may be paid 60% of the hourly minimum wage. LOCAL MINIMUM WAGE Chicago: Has a current minimum wage of $15.00 per hour (Large employers of 14 or more). For business’ that employ 4 to 20 employees it is $14.00 per hour. C00k County: Has a current minimum wage of $13.00 per hour.
Illinois supports a number of exemptions to the minimum wage besides the two mentioned above, such as special exemptions for disabled workers employed in sheltered workshop environments.
Illinois employers may not pay you under $12.00 per hour unless you or your occupation are specifically exempt from the minimum wage under state or federal law.
If you have questions about the Illinois minimum wage, please ask us and someone will respond to you as soon as possible. Looking for a new job? Use the free Illinois job search utility to find local job openings hiring now.
All Illinois employers must display an approved Illinois minimum wage poster in a prominent place to inform employees about the minimum wage and their worker’s rights under Illinois labor law.
Think the Illinois Minimum Wage should be raised? LIKE on Facebook!
Illinois Minimum Wage & Labor Law Posters
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Illinois labor law requires all employers in Illinois to visibly display an approved Illinois minimum wage poster, and other Illinois and federal labor law posters, to ensure that all employees are aware of federal and Illinois labor law and overtime regulations. Failure to display a Illinois labor law poster in the workplace can result in severe fines.
Get an Illinois all-in-one labor law poster
Instead of printing out pages of mandatory Illinois and Federal labor law posters, you can purchase a professional, laminated all-in-one labor law poster that guarantees compliance with all Illinois and federal posting requirements. Fully updated for June 2017!Get All-In-One Poster Now
The Illinois minimum wage poster, and additional required Illinois labor law posters, are also available on the Illinois labor law posters download page.
Illinois Overtime Minimum Wage
IL Overtime Wage
$18.00 / hour
Daily Cutoff for Overtime
N/A
Weekly Cutoff for Overtime
40 hours/week
All workers who put in over 40 weekly hours are entitled to a minimum wage of at least 1.5 times the regular applicable minimum wage (learn more about Illinois overtime pay). Some states require workers who work over a certain number of daily hours to be eligible for this overtime rate as well (Illinois law does not specify a daily overtime limit).
The FLSA guarantees all IL employees adequate overtime compensation for all qualifying overtime hours worked. If your employer does not pay adequate overtime wages, you can file an unpaid overtime claim with the Illinois Department of Labor.
Illinois Minimum Wage Exemptions
In addition to any Illinois-specific minimum wage exemptions described above, the Federal Fair Labor Standards act defines special minimum wage rates applicable to certain types of workers. You may be paid under the Illinois minimum wage if you fit into one of the following categories:
- Illinois Under 20 Minimum Wage – $4.25 – Federal law allows any employer in Illinois to pay a new employee who is under 20 years of age a training wage of $4.25 per hour for the first 90 days of employment.
- Illinois Student Minimum Wage – $10.20 – Full-time high school or college students who work part-time may be paid 85% of the Illinois minimum wage (as little as $10.20 per hour) for up to 20 hours of work per week at certain employers (such as work-study programs at universities).
- Illinois Tipped Minimum Wage – See Here – Employees who earn a certain amount of tips every month may be paid a lower cash minimum wage, but must earn at least $12.00 including tips every hour. For more details, read about the Illinois tipped minimum wage.
Local Minimum Wage Rates in Illinois
While Illinois’ state minimum wage is $12.00 per hour, there are localities that have set their own, higher minimum wages that apply to some or all employees within their jurisdictions. The following is a table of all Illinois localities with established minimum wage laws.
| Locality | Applies To | Minimum Wage | Comparison to State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 21 or more employees | $15.00 | +$3.00 |
| 4- 20 employees | $14.00 | +$2.00 | |
| Cook County | All employees | $13.00 | +$1.00 |
Frequently Asked Questions – Illinois Minimum Wage & Labor Law
What is the Illinois minimum wage?
The current Illinois minimum wage of $12.00 per hour is the lowest amount a non-exempt employee in Illinois can legally be paid for hourly work. Special minimum wage rates, such as the “Illinois waitress minimum wage” for tipped employees, may apply to certain workers.[1]How much will I earn working a minimum wage jobin Illinois?
A full time minimum wage worker in Illinois working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, will earn $96.00 per day, $480.00 per week, and $24,960.00 per year1. The national poverty line for a family unit consisting of two people is $16,020.00 per year.What is the Illinois under 18 minimum wage?
Illinois employers may pay 18 year olds and minors the youth minimum wage of $4.25 for the first 90 days of employment. Other labor law exemptions for minors in Illinois may exist.
