As of now, the minimum wage in Chicago is 16.60 dollars per hour for most non‑tipped workers employed by businesses with 4 or more employees, effective July 1, 2025.

Quick Scoop: Chicago Minimum Wage

  • Standard minimum wage (non‑tipped, 4+ employees): 16.60 dollars/hour since July 1, 2025.
  • Tipped workers’ base wage: 12.62 dollars/hour , but total pay (wage plus tips) must reach at least 16.60 dollars/hour; if not, the employer must make up the difference.
  • Very small employers (fewer than 4 employees) generally follow the Illinois state minimum wage instead of the Chicago city rate.
  • Youth workers (under 18) in Chicago have slightly different rates: about 16.50 dollars/hour for non‑tipped youth and 12.54 dollars/hour for tipped youth, with annual inflation-based adjustments.

Chicago’s minimum wage is adjusted every July 1, usually by inflation and capped at 2.5 percent, so you can expect another small bump on July 1, 2026, but the exact number has not yet been formally listed.

At a Glance (HTML Table)

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Category Rate (USD/hour) Notes
Standard Chicago minimum wage 16.60 Non‑tipped, employers with 4+ employees, effective July 1, 2025.
Tipped workers (base wage) 12.62 Employer must ensure wage + tips ≥ 16.60; difference must be paid by employer.
Youth workers (non‑tipped) 16.50 Under 18, Chicago rate as of 2025.
Youth workers (tipped) 12.54 Under 18, base tipped wage.

Why it changes

Chicago’s minimum wage is tied to a cost‑of‑living adjustment indexed to inflation, with a maximum yearly increase of 2.5 percent, which is why you see regular increases each July rather than a fixed rate for many years.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.