Cashiers
Median $16.58 an hour in Illinois · 139,630 jobs
Illinois · 2026 take-home pay
$17 an hour after taxes in Illinois
At $17 an hour in Illinois you keep about $13.94 of every hour — $557 a week, $2,416 a month or $28,986 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Illinois income tax. Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax, and its minimum wage is $15.00 an hour.
Where $17 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $35,360 | $680 | $17.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,063 | −$40 | −$0.99 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,192 | −$42 | −$1.05 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$513 | −$10 | −$0.25 |
| Illinois income tax | −$1,606 | −$31 | −$0.77 |
| Take-home pay | $28,986 | $557 | $13.94 |
Effective tax rate 18% · federal bracket 12% · Illinois bracket 4.95%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $680.00 | $557.43 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,360.00 | $1,114.85 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,473.33 | $1,207.76 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,946.67 | $2,415.52 |
$17 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Illinois for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $17 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.
| Schedule | Gross a week | Take-home a week | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week* | $340 | $297 | $15,439 |
| 30 hours a week | $510 | $428 | $22,281 |
| 40 hours a week | $680 | $557 | $28,986 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $808 | $654 | $33,985 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $935 | $750 | $38,984 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $17 an hour good pay in Illinois?
- Minimum wage: $17 an hour is 1.1 times Illinois's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. Employers with 4 or more employees. Chicago sets a higher minimum.
- Among Illinois workers: It's about the 17th percentile of hourly pay in Illinois (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 17 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $24.98 an hour.
- Local prices: Illinois's price level is 100% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $28,986 a year buys about what $28,998 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $884 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,208 a month for needs, $725 for wants and $483 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Illinois that pay about $17 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Illinois is within 4% of $17 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Retail Salespersons
Median $17.00 an hour in Illinois · 126,610 jobs
Food Preparation Workers
Median $16.75 an hour in Illinois · 34,820 jobs
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Median $17.49 an hour in Illinois · 26,150 jobs
Childcare Workers
Median $17.23 an hour in Illinois · 23,900 jobs
Packers and Packagers, Hand
Median $17.35 an hour in Illinois · 23,270 jobs
How Illinois compares on $17 an hour
Illinois ranks 49th of 51 for take-home pay on $17 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $13.94 | $28,986 | $15.00 | — |
| Iowa | $14.37 | $29,900 | $7.25 | +$914 a year |
| Indiana | $14.22 | $29,578 | $7.25 | +$592 a year |
| Kentucky | $14.17 | $29,472 | $7.25 | +$486 a year |
| Missouri | $14.36 | $29,867 | $15.00 | +$881 a year |
| Wisconsin | $14.30 | $29,736 | $7.25 | +$750 a year |
How the federal tax on $35,360 ($17 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $35,360 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $19,260. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $6,860 | $823 |
| Total | $19,260 | $2,063 |
How the Illinois income tax on $35,360 ($17 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $35,360 of Illinois wages minus $2,925 in exemptions = $32,435.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 4.95% | $32,435 | $1,606 |
| Total | $32,435 | $1,606 |
Common questions
How much is $17 an hour after taxes in Illinois?
About $13.94 for every hour you work, or $28,986 a year at 40 hours a week ($35,360 gross). Taxes take about 18% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $17 an hour a week after taxes in Illinois?
About $557 a week at 40 hours, from $680 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,115.
How much is $17 an hour a month after taxes in Illinois?
About $2,416 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,947 gross.
Is $17 an hour good pay in Illinois?
$17 an hour is 1.1 times Illinois's minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. It's about the 17th percentile of hourly pay in Illinois (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 17 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Illinois is $24.98. After taxes and local prices, $28,986 a year buys about what $28,998 would at national-average prices.
Is Illinois a high-tax state for $17 an hour?
It ranks 49th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $17 an hour. The most you'd keep is $30,592 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $28,267 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Illinois
- $13 an hour in Illinois
- $14 an hour in Illinois
- $15 an hour in Illinois
- $16 an hour in Illinois
- $18 an hour in Illinois
- $19 an hour in Illinois
- $20 an hour in Illinois
- $21 an hour in Illinois
$17 an hour in every state · $35,000 a year in Illinois · $40,000 a year in Illinois · Illinois paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Illinois's income tax rules (methodology). Local income taxes are not included. Minimum wages: U.S. Department of Labor. Wage distribution and jobs: BLS OEWS May 2025. Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities.
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.