Illinois taxes income at one flat rate, so every taxable dollar is withheld at the same rate whether you earn a modest wage or a large salary. What changes your Illinois withholding is the IL-W-4, which works on allowances. Line 1 covers basic allowances for yourself, a spouse and dependents; line 2 adds allowances for older or legally blind filers. Each one takes a fixed amount off your annual wages before the rate is applied. With no IL-W-4 on file, your employer allows nothing at all and withholds on every dollar of pay.
Chicago does not tax wages, and neither does any other Illinois city or county. Workers here see no local line, and there is no employee payroll levy for disability or family leave either. The Illinois line, federal tax, Social Security and Medicare make up the whole of the tax side of the stub.
Illinois has reciprocal agreements with four neighbors: Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin. A resident of one of those states who works in Illinois files Form IL-W-5-NR with the employer, and Illinois tax is not withheld; the home state taxes the pay instead. That covers a large cross-border workforce, from Wisconsin residents commuting to the north suburbs to Quad Cities workers living on the Iowa side. Commuters from Indiana, or from Missouri into the Metro East across the river from St. Louis, are not covered and have Illinois tax withheld, with credit available at home.
An Illinois resident working in a state that withholds has that tax counted against Illinois withholding, so the two are not stacked in full.
Enter your salary and IL-W-4 allowances below to see each paycheck.
How Illinois taxes your paycheck
State income tax withholding
On the tax return, Illinois taxes income at a single rate of 4.95%. Employers withhold at the same rate, after the allowances or exemptions claimed on the state withholding form. The withholding figures here follow Illinois's own instructions for employers.
For a single filer paid every two weeks, Illinois withholds 5.0% of a $30,000 salary and 5.0% of $150,000:
| Salary | Illinois tax withheld | Share of pay |
|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $1,485 | 5.0% |
| $50,000 | $2,475 | 4.9% |
| $75,000 | $3,713 | 5.0% |
| $100,000 | $4,950 | 4.9% |
| $150,000 | $7,425 | 5.0% |
City and county taxes
No Illinois city or county withholds income tax from wages, so state income tax is the only Illinois line on your pay stub.
Living in one state and working in another
Illinois has reciprocal agreements with Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin. A resident of one of them who works in Illinois has only home-state tax withheld after giving the employer the exemption form.
Enter both states in the calculator to see the credit at work; the guide to reciprocity agreements lists every pair of states that has one.
Illinois take-home pay by salary
Net pay per paycheck at each salary, single with no 401(k), benefits or extra withholding, living and working in Illinois. It runs from $953.84 every two weeks on $30,000 to $4,091.00 on $150,000. For a 401(k), health premiums or a different filing status, use the calculator above.
| Salary | Weekly | Every two weeks | Twice a month | Monthly | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $476.91 | $953.84 | $1,033.32 | $2,066.67 | $24,800 |
| $40,000 | $621.93 | $1,243.85 | $1,347.50 | $2,695.00 | $32,340 |
| $50,000 | $766.92 | $1,533.86 | $1,661.66 | $3,323.34 | $39,880 |
| $60,000 | $911.92 | $1,823.84 | $1,975.83 | $3,951.67 | $47,420 |
| $75,000 | $1,113.09 | $2,226.15 | $2,411.67 | $4,823.32 | $57,880 |
| $90,000 | $1,301.73 | $2,603.46 | $2,820.41 | $5,640.83 | $67,690 |
| $100,000 | $1,427.51 | $2,855.00 | $3,092.92 | $6,185.83 | $74,230 |
| $125,000 | $1,740.69 | $3,481.38 | $3,771.50 | $7,543.00 | $90,516 |
| $150,000 | $2,045.50 | $4,091.00 | $4,431.91 | $8,863.83 | $106,366 |
Hourly pay after tax in Illinois
At 40 hours a week, $25.00 an hour comes to $795.92 in a weekly paycheck and $41,388 over the year, which is $19.90 for each hour worked. Overtime, tips and a different schedule change these figures: switch the calculator to its Hourly tab to enter them.
| Hourly wage | Weekly paycheck | Year | Per hour after tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $494.32 | $25,705 | $12.36 |
| $20.00 | $645.12 | $33,547 | $16.13 |
| $25.00 | $795.92 | $41,388 | $19.90 |
| $30.00 | $946.72 | $49,230 | $23.67 |
| $40.00 | $1,216.21 | $63,243 | $30.41 |
| $50.00 | $1,477.81 | $76,846 | $36.95 |
Worked example: the median wage in Illinois
The median annual wage in Illinois is $51,960: half of all jobs pay more and half pay less, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey for May 2025 (all occupations; survey date May 31, 2025). Paid every two weeks as a single filer, with no 401(k) or benefits, that salary works out like this.
| Line | Each paycheck | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $1,998.46 | $51,960.00 |
| Federal income tax | $155.97 | $4,055.22 |
| Social Security | $123.90 | $3,221.41 |
| Medicare | $28.98 | $753.48 |
| Illinois income tax | $98.92 | $2,571.93 |
| Take-home pay | $1,590.69 | $41,357.96 |
You keep 79.6% of gross pay. Of the $10,602 withheld, federal income tax is the largest part at $4,055, followed by Social Security at $3,221.
Illinois paycheck questions
How much is $51,960 a year after taxes in Illinois?
Paid every two weeks as a single filer with no pre-tax deductions, $51,960 a year in Illinois leaves $41,358 after tax, or $1,590.69 a paycheck. Federal income tax takes $4,055 and Social Security and Medicare $3,975; Illinois income tax takes $2,572. $51,960 is the median annual wage for all jobs in Illinois in the Bureau of Labor Statistics survey for May 2025.
Is Illinois income tax a flat rate?
Yes. On the tax return, Illinois taxes income at a single rate of 4.95%. Employers withhold at the same rate, after the allowances or exemptions claimed on the state withholding form. At the median wage, Illinois withholds 4.9% of gross pay.
I live in another state and work in Illinois. Which state withholds?
Illinois has reciprocal agreements with Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin. A resident of one of them who works in Illinois has only home-state tax withheld after giving the employer the exemption form.
What is $75,000 a year biweekly in Illinois?
$2,226.15 a paycheck, single, with no 401(k) or other deductions. Paid twice a month it is $2,411.67, and monthly $4,823.32. Over the year that is $57,880.
Sources
Rules checked . How we calculate.