Illinois Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your Illinois take-home pay. Illinois charges a flat 4.95% state tax, but every filer gets a $2,925 personal exemption ($5,850 for couples) that lowers the bill — assuming your income is under the $250,000 / $500,000 phase-out threshold. This calculator handles both.
How to use this calculator
- Type your gross pay per paycheck — what you earn before any tax or deduction comes out.
- Pick your pay frequency (biweekly is the default — it's the most common).
- Set your federal filing status (Single or Married Filing Jointly).
- If you contribute to a traditional 401(k), enter the percentage. Add any pre-tax health or HSA deductions per paycheck.
- The result updates as you go. Use Share link to send your numbers to someone else without retyping them.
A real example: a $60,000 salary in Illinois
Say you take a $60,000-a-year job in Chicago, paid every two weeks, single, no 401(k). That's $2,307.69 gross per paycheck. The math goes like this for the year:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | $60,000.00 |
| Federal income tax (after the $16,100 standard deduction) | −$5,020.00 |
| Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500) | −$3,720.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$870.00 |
| Illinois state tax (4.95% × ($60,000 − $2,925 exemption)) | −$2,825.21 |
| Take-home for the year | $47,564.79 |
| Take-home per biweekly check | $1,829.41 |
About 21% of your gross goes to federal, state, and FICA. A counterintuitive note worth surfacing: at this income, Illinois's flat 4.95% actually leaves you with less take-home than California's progressive system (about $405 less per year). California's low starting brackets and standard deduction beat Illinois's flat rate at moderate incomes. The picture flips at higher incomes — California's progressive brackets pull ahead in tax as you climb.
Now add a 5% traditional 401(k) and $200/month in pre-tax health premiums on a $120,000 salary, married, paid monthly: gross $10,000/mo, $500 to the 401(k), $200 to health. Federal tax for the year runs about $9,032. Illinois state tax is 4.95% of ($120,000 − $6,000 401(k) − $2,400 pretax − $5,850 for two exemptions), which works out to about $5,235. FICA is about $8,996. Take-home is roughly $7,361 a month before Chicago's local taxes (Chicago has no city wage tax for individuals — only the state's 4.95%).
How an Illinois paycheck is calculated
Illinois math is short because the rate is flat, but the personal exemption adds one wrinkle:
Three things to know about the Illinois math:
- The exemption is a deduction, not a credit. Illinois subtracts $2,925 per person from your taxable income before applying the 4.95% rate. A single filer's exemption saves about $145 a year; a married couple's $5,850 exemption saves about $290. Illinois doesn't have a standard deduction like the federal system — the exemption is your only built-in reduction.
- The exemption is a cliff, not a phase-out. If your income exceeds $250,000 single or $500,000 MFJ, you lose the exemption entirely — there's no gradual reduction. Cross the threshold by a dollar and you owe about $145 ($290 for couples) more in IL tax. The engine on this page applies this correctly based on what you enter.
- Both 401(k) and Section-125 pre-tax reduce IL tax. Illinois conforms to the federal rule for traditional 401(k), HSA, FSA, and health-insurance premiums — they all come out before the 4.95% applies. The exemption then comes off whatever remains.
What Illinois paychecks look like at common salaries (single, no 401k)
| Annual salary | Federal tax | FICA | IL tax (4.95%) | Net per year | Net per biweekly check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,620.00 | $3,060.00 | $1,835.21 | $32,484.79 | $1,249.41 |
| $50,000 | $3,820.00 | $3,825.00 | $2,330.21 | $40,024.79 | $1,539.41 |
| $60,000 | $5,020.00 | $4,590.00 | $2,825.21 | $47,564.79 | $1,829.41 |
| $75,000 | $7,670.00 | $5,737.50 | $3,567.71 | $58,024.79 | $2,231.72 |
| $100,000 | $13,170.00 | $7,650.00 | $4,805.21 | $74,374.79 | $2,860.57 |
| $150,000 | $24,734.00 | $11,475.00 | $7,280.21 | $106,510.79 | $4,096.57 |
Numbers above use 2026 federal rates and the IL flat 4.95% with the $2,925 single-filer exemption, no 401(k) or pre-tax deductions. Your actual withholding will differ based on your W-4 and any deductions.
Tips to take home more
- Max out pre-tax benefits first. Health insurance, HSA, and FSA dollars reduce both your federal tax and FICA — that's a roughly 22–28% discount on those expenses for most people.
- A 401(k) is real money, not a deduction. A 5% contribution on $60k is $3,000 the IRS doesn't see right now. You're not losing it — you're moving it.
- Check your W-4 if your refund or bill is large. A big refund means you overpaid all year; a big bill means you underpaid. Either way, the IRS withholding estimator at irs.gov/W4App helps fix it.
- Track the Social Security cap. If you'll cross $184,500 this year, your last few checks will be noticeably bigger — useful to know if you're planning big purchases.
Frequently asked questions
What is Illinois's state income tax rate?
Illinois has a flat state income tax of 4.95% on most personal income. The rate has been 4.95% since 2017. A 2020 ballot measure to switch to graduated rates was rejected by voters, so the flat structure remains in place.
How much of a $60,000 salary do you take home in Illinois?
A single filer earning $60,000 in Illinois takes home about $47,565 a year, or roughly $1,829 every two weeks. That's federal $5,020, FICA $4,590, and IL state tax $2,825 — which is 4.95% of $57,075 after subtracting the $2,925 personal exemption.
What is the Illinois personal exemption?
Illinois gives every filer a $2,925 personal exemption for 2026 (up from $2,850 in 2025), with an extra $2,925 for a spouse if filing jointly. The exemption reduces your taxable income before applying the 4.95% rate. It saves a single filer about $145 a year and a couple about $290. The exemption disappears entirely if your income exceeds $250,000 single or $500,000 married — see the next question.
Does the Illinois exemption phase out at higher incomes?
Yes, but it's a cliff, not a smooth phase-out. If your adjusted gross income exceeds $250,000 (single) or $500,000 (married filing jointly), you lose the personal exemption entirely — there's no partial reduction. A single filer at $250,000 pays IL tax on $247,075; at $250,001 they pay tax on the full $250,001. The cliff costs about $145 on the next dollar of income. This calculator applies the exemption correctly based on your gross.
Will a 401(k) increase my take-home pay in Illinois?
Yes — Illinois conforms to the federal rule, so a traditional 401(k) reduces both federal and Illinois taxable income. It doesn't reduce FICA, and the contribution still comes out of your check. Net effect: smaller paycheck today, but the deferred dollars stay yours (in your 401(k) instead of going to the IRS and the IL Department of Revenue).
Does this calculator match what my employer withholds?
It gives a close estimate, not an exact match. Employers withhold using IRS Publication 15-T and the full details on your Form W-4 — extra withholding, multiple jobs, dependents, credits. This tool models the standard deduction with a single or married filing status, which is what most people end up close to at tax time.