How to use the Illinois paycheck calculator
- 1 Enter your pay and choose whether it is a yearly salary or an hourly wage (with hours a week).
- 2 Choose how often you are paid and your filing status.
- 3 Enter your children under 17 and your 401(k) contribution.
- 4 Read your take-home pay per paycheck and every deduction.
Worked example
A single Illinois worker earning $60,000 a year, paid every two weeks, with 5% to a 401(k). From each $2,307.69 check: $115.38 of 401(k), $179.23 of federal tax, $176.54 of Social Security and Medicare and $102.95 of Illinois tax (4.95% of $57,000 less the $2,925 allowance). Take-home pay is $1,733.59 a paycheck, or $45,073 a year.
Getting more from a Illinois paycheck
- Check your pay stub against the calculator once a year.
- Raise your 401(k) to cut federal and state tax.
- Update your W-4 after marriage, a child or a raise.
- File an IL-W-4: without it, no allowances are used.
Compare with the Wisconsin Paycheck Calculator, convert hourly pay with the Hourly to Salary Calculator and work out overtime with the Overtime Calculator.
Features
Flat 4.95%
One state rate after the IL-W-4 exemptions.
$2,925 allowances
For you, your spouse and each dependent.
Salary or hourly
Enter a yearly salary or an hourly wage.
When to use it
Chicago job offers
Compare take-home pay. Convert hourly pay with the Hourly to Salary Calculator.
Moving to Wisconsin or Indiana
Compare with the Wisconsin Paycheck Calculator.
Overtime
Work out time and a half with the Overtime Calculator.
Withholding check
Check your federal W-4 with the W-4 Withholding Calculator.
Related Pay and Salary tasks
Frequently asked questions
How much is taken out of an Illinois paycheck?
On a $60,000 salary paid every two weeks with 5% to a 401(k), about $103 of Illinois tax comes out of each check, plus $179 of federal tax and $177 of Social Security and Medicare.
What is the Illinois income tax rate for 2026?
A flat 4.95% on all taxable income, unchanged since 2017. The Illinois constitution requires a flat rate.
What is the Illinois exemption allowance for 2026?
$2,925 per person: you, your spouse on a joint return and each dependent. It is not available if your income is above $250,000 ($500,000 for joint filers).
What is Form IL-W-4?
Illinois's own withholding certificate. Line 1 allowances are worth $2,925 each and Line 2 allowances (for age 65 or blindness) $1,000 each. Without an IL-W-4, your employer withholds as if you claim none.
Does Chicago have a city income tax?
No. Chicago and other Illinois cities do not tax wages, though Chicago has high sales and property taxes.
Do I pay Illinois tax if I live in Wisconsin?
No. Illinois has reciprocity with Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin: residents of those states who work in Illinois pay tax only to their home state, using Form IL-W-5-NR.
Does Illinois tax retirement income?
Illinois does not tax Social Security, pensions or most IRA and 401(k) withdrawals.
Do 401(k) contributions lower Illinois tax?
Yes. Traditional 401(k) contributions are excluded from Illinois wages.
Are bonuses taxed differently in Illinois?
No. Illinois withholds 4.95% on bonuses, the same as regular pay.
What is the Illinois minimum wage?
$15.00 an hour since January 1, 2025.
How do I lower my Illinois tax?
Raise traditional 401(k) contributions and use pre-tax health, HSA and commuter benefits, which reduce Illinois wages. Make sure your IL-W-4 claims every allowance you are entitled to, so too much is not withheld.
Results are estimates based on the official rates linked above. Confirm important figures with the issuing authority or a qualified adviser before you act on them.
Built and reviewed by Hamza Farooq, founder and lead developer
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