How Illinois taxes your paycheck
Illinois taxes wages at a single flat rate of 4.95%. The model applies a personal exemption of $2,925 per person.
Illinois uses a flat 4.95% income tax with a personal exemption rather than a standard deduction. Illinois does not tax most retirement income, but wages are taxed fully, and the sales tax is among the higher ones in the Midwest.
Take-home pay in Illinois at common salaries
The table shows a single filer with no pre-tax deductions, paid biweekly, using 2026 federal rules and the Illinois rules described above.
| Salary | Federal tax | FICA | Illinois tax | Annual take-home | Per biweekly check | Share kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $1,420 | $2,295 | $1,340 | $24,945 | $959.41 | 83.1% |
| $50,000 | $3,820 | $3,825 | $2,330 | $40,025 | $1,539.41 | 80.0% |
| $75,000 | $7,670 | $5,738 | $3,568 | $58,025 | $2,231.72 | 77.4% |
| $100,000 | $13,170 | $7,650 | $4,805 | $74,375 | $2,860.57 | 74.4% |
| $150,000 | $24,734 | $11,475 | $7,280 | $106,511 | $4,096.57 | 71.0% |
Married filing jointly
| Household wages | Federal tax | FICA | Illinois tax | Annual take-home | Per biweekly check | Share kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $2,840 | $4,590 | $2,680 | $49,890 | $1,918.83 | 83.1% |
| $100,000 | $7,640 | $7,650 | $4,660 | $80,050 | $3,078.83 | 80.0% |
| $150,000 | $15,340 | $11,475 | $7,135 | $116,050 | $4,463.45 | 77.4% |
| $200,000 | $26,340 | $14,339 | $9,610 | $149,711 | $5,758.10 | 74.9% |
Joint filers use a standard deduction of $32,200 and wider federal brackets. For one-earner households, the numbers above assume all wages belong to one spouse; if both spouses work, each pays Social Security and Medicare on their own wages.
How Illinois ranks for take-home pay
At a $75,000 salary and single filing status, Illinois ranks #43 of 51 (50 states plus DC) for annual take-home pay at $58,025. The highest in this ranking is Alaska at $61,593. Illinois’s state income tax and payroll programs take about $3,568 of that salary, compared with $0 in a state with no wage tax. You can rank all states for any salary with the state comparison tool.
Compare Illinois with other states
Sales tax in Illinois
Illinois’s state sales tax rate is 6.25%. Local governments add an average of 2.73%, for a combined average of about 8.98% (Tax Foundation, midyear 2026). The highest local rate in the state is 4.75%. Income tax and sales tax together set how far your money goes, so compare both when you consider a move.
What this estimate leaves out
Your actual paycheck can differ because of health insurance premiums, local taxes, employer-specific deductions and your Form W-4. See the paycheck withholding guide for how employers calculate withholding, and our methodology page for the list of simplifications.