Cook County minimum wage

$15.40 an hour since July 1, 2026. That's $0.40 above the Illinois rate of $15.00.

Who it covers: Employers with 4 or more employees (or any employer of a domestic worker) that have a business facility in Cook County or a Cook County business license, for employees 18 and older who work at least 2 hours in any 2-week period in Cook County. Applies in unincorporated Cook County and in municipalities that haven't opted out; it doesn't apply in Chicago (own ordinance) or in the 117 municipalities on the county's opt-out list. The rate changes every July 1.

From	Hourly rate	Tipped cash wage	Official source
July 1, 2025	$15.00	$9.00	cookcountyil.gov checked 2026-10-26
July 1, 2026	$15.40	$9.25	cookcountyil.gov checked 2026-10-26

Changes not announced yet

July 1, 2027: Every July 1 the Commission on Human Rights sets the rate at the highest of the federal, Illinois or CPI-based county rate (the CPI calculation is skipped if county unemployment is 8.5% or higher). Usually published in May or June. (cookcountyil.gov)

We add the amount as soon as it's published. The API returns these under pending_changes.

Good to know

except_places is the county's list 'Municipalities That Opted Out of Cook County's Minimum Wage' (dated June 27, 2023, still the version posted), plus Chicago. The county says the list changes and isn't definitive, so employers in a suburb should confirm with the municipality. 'Elk Grove' on the list is written here as Elk Grove Village.
Municipalities on the county's list that follow the county wage: Barrington Hills, Berwyn, Countryside, Deerfield, Dolton, Evanston, Glencoe, Kenilworth, McCook, Northfield, Oak Brook, Oak Park, Phoenix, Skokie, University Park, Western Springs, Wilmette and Winnetka.
Workers under 18 aren't covered; they get the Illinois youth minimum wage.
Employers may pay up to $0.50 less than the county minimum during a new employee's first 90 days, except day laborers, temporary and seasonal workers.
Several opted-out municipalities straddle county lines; the opt-out only matters for their Cook County parts.

Get an email when the Cook County minimum wage changes

One email when a new rate is announced, and a reminder a week before it takes effect. Free, and you can stop it in one click.

Does the Cook County rate apply at an address?

Live API, free for 50 lookups a day without an account. US street addresses.

Get the Cook County rate by API

One call returns the federal, state, county and city rates that apply at an address, the one that governs, the tipped cash wage and the next change, each with its official source.

curl "https://bankday.dev/v1/minimum-wage?state=IL&city=Cook%20County" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BANKDAY_KEY"

API docs · Pricing · State rates are free. City and county rates by name start on the Developer plan, address lookups on the Business plan.

Questions

What is the minimum wage in Cook County in 2027?

The 2027 rate isn't announced yet (Every July 1 the Commission on Human Rights sets the rate at the highest of the federal, Illinois or CPI-based county rate (the CPI calculation is skipped if county unemployment is 8.5% or higher). Usually published in May or June.). Until then it's $15.40 an hour.

Who does the Cook County minimum wage cover?

Employers with 4 or more employees (or any employer of a domestic worker) that have a business facility in Cook County or a Cook County business license, for employees 18 and older who work at least 2 hours in any 2-week period in Cook County. Applies in unincorporated Cook County and in municipalities that haven't opted out; it doesn't apply in Chicago (own ordinance) or in the 117 municipalities on the county's opt-out list. The rate changes every July 1.

Rates come from the official sources linked on this page, checked on the dates shown. This is data, not legal advice: confirm with the official source before relying on it. Found a mistake? Email hello@bankday.dev.