The new year is rapidly approaching, but will the minimum wage in the state of Illinois be going up in 2026?
Under provisions of a law passed in 2019, the state’s minimum wage had increased by $1 per year from 2020 through 2025, culminating with the current wage of $15 per hour, which went into effect on January 1 of this year.
While the state’s minimum wage has nearly doubled over the last six years, will it be going up again in 2026?
The answer to that question is no, according to the state’s Department of Labor.
The minimum wage will remain $15 per hour for works age 18 and older, with the tipped minimum wage staying at $9 per hour, according to officials.
Workers under the age of 18 who work fewer than 650 hours per calendar year have a minimum wage of $13 an hour.
That minimum wage does not apply in the city of Chicago, however. The minimum wage within the city increases by the rate of increase in the Consumer Price Index or by 2.5% each July 1, whichever rate is lower, according to officials.
As of July 1, the city’s minimum wage is $16.60 per hour for companies with four or more employees. Tipped workers have a minimum wage of $12.62 per hour. Workers under the age of 18 have slightly lower minimum wages of $16.50 per hour.
More information on those wages can be found on the state and city’s websites.
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