Illinois Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your Illinois take-home pay — federal tax plus Illinois's flat 4.95% state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare.
Illinois payroll tax overview
Illinois applies a flat 4.95% state income tax to all taxable income — there are no brackets, so everyone pays the same rate regardless of how much they earn. Illinois does not have local city or county income taxes, so your total withholding is federal tax + Social Security + Medicare + the flat 4.95% state rate.
Worked example
A single filer earning $65,000/year in Illinois, paid biweekly:
| Item | Per paycheck | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,500.00 | $65,000.00 |
| Federal income tax | ≈ $258.00 | ≈ $6,710.00 |
| Social Security | $155.00 | $4,030.00 |
| Medicare | $36.25 | $942.50 |
| Illinois state tax (4.95%) | $123.75 | $3,217.50 |
| Net pay | ≈ $1,927.00 | ≈ $50,100.00 |
Local income context: how Illinois compares
According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, Illinois's median household income is $83,211 — above the 2024 national median of $81,604. Illinois' income reflects a similar pattern to New York: Chicago's finance, logistics, and corporate headquarters economy drives the statewide figure well above what's typical in the state's downstate agricultural counties.
Median household income reflects a full household (often two earners), while the calculator above estimates take-home pay for a single individual's salary — so it's a useful benchmark for context rather than a direct comparison, but it helps illustrate how a given salary stacks up against typical earnings in Illinois.
Frequently asked questions
Why Illinois chose a flat tax
Illinois is one of only a handful of states with a constitutionally mandated flat income tax — a 2014 attempt to amend the state constitution to allow progressive rates was rejected by voters, keeping the flat-rate structure in place. This means a minimum-wage worker and a high earner in Illinois pay the same 4.95% state rate, which is a notably different philosophy from neighboring states like Wisconsin and Iowa, both of which use progressive brackets.
Illinois compared to neighboring states
Illinois's flat 4.95% rate sits in the middle of the pack compared to neighbors — lower than Iowa's top progressive rates but higher than Indiana's flat 3.05% rate. For workers near state borders (a common situation in the Chicago metro area, which borders Indiana and Wisconsin), this can be a meaningful factor when comparing job offers or considering where to live versus where to work.
More frequently asked questions
Illinois retirement income treatment
One notable quirk of Illinois tax law: most retirement income — including pensions, 401(k) and IRA distributions, and Social Security — is fully exempt from the state's 4.95% income tax. This doesn't affect this paycheck calculator (which models wage income), but it's a relevant detail for Illinois residents planning for retirement, since it meaningfully changes the state-tax picture once wage income stops and retirement income begins.
Illinois unemployment insurance context
Unlike SDI or PFL deductions seen in some other states, Illinois unemployment insurance is funded entirely by employers, not deducted from employee paychecks — so it won't appear as a line item on an Illinois pay stub the way California's SDI or New York's PFL would.
Illinois minimum wage trajectory
Illinois has been increasing its statewide minimum wage on a multi-year schedule, with Chicago historically setting its own higher local minimum wage on top of the state rate. If you're entering an hourly rate for Illinois work, confirm the current applicable minimum wage for your specific city, since Chicago's rate can differ from the rest of the state.