---
title: "Server Minimum Wage in Illinois (2026)"
url: https://www.tipmaxapp.com/us/answers/illinois/server-wage
language: en
publisher: TipMax (Entermaurs Incorporated)
date_published: 2026-09-23
last_verified: 2026-09-23
---

# What’s the minimum wage for servers in Illinois?

**Short answer:** The Illinois minimum wage is $15.00 an hour for employers of 4 or more employees, not counting family members. Servers can be paid a $9.00 cash wage, because the state lets employers credit tips for up to 40% of the minimum, or $6.00. If tips don’t get you to $15.00 per hour, the employer covers the rest.

## Illinois at a glance

| Rule | Illinois | Federal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minimum wage | $15.00 | Federal: $7.25 |
| Tipped cash wage (paid before tips) | $9.00 | Federal: $2.13 |
| Can tips count toward minimum wage? | Yes | DOL: Yes |
| State tax on the federal tips deduction | The Illinois Department of Revenue hadn’t published anything on the federal tips deduction when we checked. |  |

As of the U.S. Department of Labor table revised July 1, 2026. Your city may set a higher rate.

## What’s different in Illinois

Illinois writes its tip credit as a share of the minimum rather than a flat amount. DOL lists it as 40% of the applicable minimum wage, which works out to $6.00 today. The federal version, by contrast, is a fixed dollar amount on top of a $2.13 cash wage.

Coverage has a size limit. The $15.00 rate applies to employers with 4 or more employees, excluding family members. At a tiny family restaurant, you may fall outside the state law, and your protection would come from the federal rules instead.

DOL also notes that some local governments set higher minimums than their state. If you work in a city with its own ordinance, the local rate can replace the $15.00 and $9.00 figures on your stub, so ask which one your employer uses.

## Example shift

Say you work 6 hours and walk out with $120 in tips (illustrative numbers; use your own).

1. Wages: $9.00 × 6 = **$54.00**.
2. With tips: $54.00 + $120 = **$174.00**, or **$29.00 an hour**.
3. If your tips for the week don’t bring you to $15.00 an hour, federal law says your employer has to make up the difference.

Check your own week: https://www.tipmaxapp.com/tools/tipped-wage-check

## Official sources

- [U.S. Department of Labor: Minimum wages for tipped employees (state table)](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped)
- [U.S. Department of Labor: State minimum wage laws](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state)
- [BLS: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, waiters and waitresses (35-3031)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes353031.htm)
- [Illinois labor agency](https://labor.illinois.gov/)
- [Illinois Department of Revenue: what’s new for income taxes](https://tax.illinois.gov/research/publications/bulletins/fy-2026-15.html)

## Last verified

September 23, 2026. Checked the U.S. Department of Labor state tables (revised July 1, 2026) and BLS OEWS May 2025.

## About TipMax

Illinois employers can count up to 40% of the $15.00 minimum in tips, so recording tips next to hours shows whether your $9.00 base plus tips really added up.

TipMax is an iPhone app for servers and bartenders that tracks tips and tip-outs and turns a restaurant menu into study flashcards.

Download TipMax free: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tipmax-study-track-earn/id6744850146

---

TipMax Answers explains public government guidance on pay and workplace rules in plain English for tipped workers. It is **not legal, tax, or accounting advice**. Rules change and local rules can add to them. Confirm with the agency linked on this page or a qualified professional. TipMax the app helps you track tips and pay; it doesn’t enforce wage law or decide disputes.