What Is the Minimum Wage in Skokie, IL?

The minimum wage in Skokie, IL is $15.00 per hour for non-tipped employees and $9.00 per hour for tipped employees through June 30, 2026. On July 1, 2026, those rates rise to $15.40 and $9.25.¹ Skokie falls under the Cook County Minimum Wage Ordinance and has never opted out, so county rates are the ones that apply inside village limits.

Current Pay Rates in Skokie

The village does not set its own wage floor. Everything comes from the county ordinance:

Non-tipped employees through June 30, 2026: $15.00 per hour, with overtime at $22.50.²
Non-tipped employees starting July 1, 2026: $15.40 per hour.¹
Tipped employees through June 30, 2026: $9.00 per hour, with overtime at $16.50.²
Tipped employees starting July 1, 2026: $9.25 per hour.¹

The Illinois state minimum wage is also $15.00 per hour as of January 1, 2025.³ Cook County’s ordinance is written to match or exceed whichever is highest among the federal rate, the state rate, or the county’s own Consumer Price Index calculation.¹

How the Tipped Rate Works

An employer can start a tipped worker at the lower base ($9.00, or $9.25 after July 2026), but base pay plus actual tips earned has to reach the full minimum wage every pay period. If tips fall short, the employer owes the difference.² Employers who claim the tip credit have to keep records that show the full minimum was actually reached. Without those records, the credit falls away and the employer owes the gap.

Who Is Covered

The ordinance covers hourly, salaried, and tipped employees over 18 who work at least two hours per week within Cook County.² You qualify even if your employer is based somewhere else, so delivery drivers, salespeople making calls in Skokie, and repair technicians passing through for jobs all count toward that threshold. Just driving through without a work stop does not. Independent contractors are not covered.⁴

Workers the County Rate Does Not Reach

Two groups commonly working in Skokie are paid under different rules.

Employees under 18 are outside the Cook County ordinance.⁴ They fall under the Illinois state youth rate of $13.00 per hour, which applies to workers under 18 who work fewer than 650 hours in a calendar year.³

New employees are also treated differently during their first 90 days. An employer is not required to pay the county rate during that initial window, though the state minimum wage of $15.00 still sets the floor. The 90-day exception does not apply to day laborers, temporary workers, or seasonal workers, all of whom must get the full county rate from day one.⁴

How the Rate Changes Each Year

Cook County adjusts its minimum wage every July 1 using a Consumer Price Index formula. Annual increases are capped at 2.5 percent, and the CPI-based raise is skipped entirely if Cook County unemployment reaches 8.5 percent or higher.¹ For July 2026, actual CPI ran above the cap, so the increase was limited to 2.5 percent, taking the rate from $15.00 to $15.40. Employers in Skokie should check the county’s published rate each summer and update payroll accordingly.

If Your Employer Pays Less Than Required

Wage complaints from Skokie workers go to the Cook County Commission on Human Rights. The Illinois Department of Labor routes all Cook County wage complaints there.⁵ Filing is free.⁶

Your complaint has to include the facts of what happened, the date of the violation, the location, and your signature or your attorney’s. You can submit it through the Commission’s online intake form or a downloadable PDF.⁶ You have three years from the date of the violation to file.

If the Commission finds a violation after a hearing, it can order the employer to pay back wages, reinstate a worker who was fired for complaining, post the required workplace notice, and lose Cook County licensing privileges and property tax incentives.²

Retaliation Is a Separate Violation

Firing, demoting, or otherwise punishing a worker for filing a complaint or cooperating with an investigation is itself a violation of the ordinance, with its own penalties including reinstatement, back wages, and loss of county tax and licensing benefits.² If your schedule, title, or job status changes soon after you raise a wage issue, write down what happened and when. That record is what the Commission relies on if you file a second complaint.

1
Cook County Government. Cook County Issues Notice to Minimum Wage Ordinance
2
Cook County Government. Minimum Wage Ordinance and Regulations
3
Illinois Department of Labor. Minimum Wage Law
4
Cook County Government. Cook County Minimum Wage Ordinance FAQ
5
Illinois Department of Labor. File a Workplace Complaint
6
Cook County Government. File a Complaint for Unlawful Discrimination or Harassment