Illinois Minimum Wage Set to Increase to $10 Per Hour on July 1

The minimum wage in Illinois will rise to $10 per hour starting July 1, 2020, marking the second increase this year. The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) is advising workers to verify that their paychecks reflect this change. This increase follows a previous adjustment on January 1, 2020, when the minimum wage was raised from $8.25 to $9.25 per hour.

Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation that aims to gradually increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025. The last increase prior to January 2020 occurred in 2010, when the wage was raised from $8.00 to $8.25 per hour.

In Cook County, the minimum wage will also increase to $13 per hour on July 1, 2020. Additionally, the City of Chicago will see its minimum wage rise to $13.50 per hour for small employers and $14 per hour for large employers, effective the same day.

Michael Kleinik, director of the Illinois Department of Labor, emphasized the importance of workers checking their pay to ensure compliance with the new wage law. The law allows employers to count gratuities toward wages for tipped employees, who can be paid a minimum of 60 percent of the hourly minimum wage, provided their total earnings meet the minimum wage requirement.

For workers under 18 years old who work fewer than 650 hours in a year, the minimum wage remains at $8 per hour.