Starting today, workers earning minimum wage in Chicago and parts of suburban Cook County should see an increase as new rates go into effect. “We encourage you to review your paycheck to ensure you’re being paid the appropriate wage,” Cook County Department of Human Rights and Ethics Executive Director Jennifer King said during a Tuesday news conference with city officials and worker advocates. For employers with four or more workers, the minimum hourly wage in Chicago is set to increase from $16.60 to $17.05 for non-tipped workers, including domestic workers such as nannies, home cleaners and care workers. The minimum wage for tipped workers in the city, like restaurant servers and bartenders, will also increase from $12.62 to $12.96. The overtime rates for tipped and non-tipped workers in the city and Cook County are also set to increase Wednesday.
Some backstory: Last month, the Chicago City Council approved a measure to delay the phasing out the sub minimum wage for tipped workers by two years. In 2023, the City Council approved the “One Fair Wage” ordinance, which aimed to phase out the subminimum wage for tipped workers over a five-year period by incrementally increasing wages for tipped workers until it reaches the standard minimum wage. Currently, for tipped-workers, if the tipped wage plus tips do not equal the minimum wage, the employer has to make up the difference to reach the full minimum wage.
In Cook County, for those 18 and older, the minimum wage for non-tipped workers will increase to $15.40/hour while the minimum wage for tipped workers is set to increase to $9.25/hour. Municipalities within Cook County can pass their own ordinances, so not all follow the county’s minimum wage.
The county’s minimum wage applies to workers in Barrington Hills, Berwyn, Countryside, Deerfield, Dolton, Evanston, Glencoe, Kenilworth, McCook, Northfield, Oak Brook, Oak Park, Phoenix, Skokie, University Park, Western Springs, Wilmette and Winnetka. “We wanna remind people that minimum wages are just that: the minimum amount an employer can pay you,” Arise Chicago organizer Jose Uribe said. “You can ask and fight for more.”
