$21 an Hour in Illinois — After-Tax Take-Home (2026)
At $21/hour (2,080 hours/year), your gross annual income is $43,680. After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Illinois state income tax, your take-home pay is $16.88/hr. In Illinois's medium cost-of-living environment, this is below what's needed for comfortable living in Illinois.
Pay Period Breakdown
Full Tax Breakdown — Illinois, Single Filer
How Does Illinois Compare?
See how $21/hr take-home differs in other states at the same wage:
Equivalent Annual Salary Pages
$21/hr = $43,680/year gross. See the full state-by-state salary breakdown:
Adjacent Rates in Illinois
Same Rate, Other States
Cost of Living in Illinois
- Avg 1BR rent in Chicago: $1,400/mo — over the 30% rule (38% of gross monthly)
- Minimum comfortable income in Illinois: $44,000/yr
- Your net annual: $35,115 ($8,885 below comfortable threshold)
- Purchasing power equivalent in Texas: ~$20/hr
Working at $21/hr in Illinois
This is a solid income in most of Illinois. Chicago's deep job market provides career mobility, and the flat tax structure is predictable. The city's property tax situation (very high) affects homeowners more than renters, but it indirectly shows up in rent prices.
At ${rate}/hr, you work roughly 83 hours each month to cover a typical 1BR in Chicago (${rent.toLocaleString()}/mo) -- that's above the 30% gross income guideline. This wage is 1.4x Illinois's minimum wage of ${ctx.minWage}/hr. Your combined effective tax rate at ${rate}/hr in Illinois is 19.6% -- federal income tax accounts for 7.0%, FICA 7.6%, and Illinois state tax 5.0%.
Chicago is a global financial, logistics, and manufacturing hub. Major employers include United Airlines, Boeing (recently moved HQ), Caterpillar, Abbott Labs, and a large financial services sector. Outside Chicago, Illinois has significant agricultural and manufacturing economies.
Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax rate — no graduated brackets. This is mandated by the state constitution (a constitutional amendment to add graduated rates failed in 2020). Illinois also has no standard deduction, meaning the full gross income is taxed at 4.95%.
Illinois' minimum wage is $15.00/hr (2026). Chicago has a higher local minimum of $16.20/hr.
Monthly Budget on $21/hr in Illinois
Based on $2,926/month take-home. Percentages follow common 50/30/20 guidelines adjusted for Illinois's cost of living.
Overtime Pay — $21/hr in Illinois
At time-and-a-half ($31.50/hr), here's what overtime adds to your annual net income in Illinois. Your marginal tax rate at this income level is ~18.4%.
Hours to Afford Common Purchases at $21/hr
How many hours of work (gross) to buy common items. Actual cost in after-tax hours is higher — divide by your $16.88 net hourly rate for the true cost in time.
Frequently Asked Questions
21 an hour -- is it a good wage in Illinois?
21/hr in Illinois gives you $35,115/year after taxes -- below what's needed for comfortable living in Illinois. Avg 1BR rent in Chicago: $1,400/month (exceeds the 30% rule).
What is 21 an hour after taxes in Illinois?
21/hr in Illinois = $35,115/year or $2,926/month net. Effective rate: 19.6%.
How does 21/hr go further -- Illinois or Texas?
21/hr in Illinois has similar purchasing power to ~20/hr in Texas.
What does 21/hr look like as a monthly budget in Illinois?
On $2,926/month in Illinois: rent $1,400, food $351, transport $293, savings $293, surplus ~$121.
How much does overtime add at 21/hr in Illinois?
At 1.5x (31.50/hr OT), 5 extra hrs/week adds ~$6,450/year net; 10 hrs/week adds ~$12,850/year.