Under the Cook County Minimum Wage Ordinance, work done in Cook County, Illinois, carries a local wage floor. Where it applies, the rate since July 1, 2026 is $15.40 an hour ($9.25 tipped), above the Illinois $15.00 ($9.00 tipped). The County's Commission on Human Rights enforces it. This page is for foreign-owned and cross-border businesses, for example with a founder in Canada or India, that have staff in Cook County. Kane, DuPage, Will and Kendall counties are outside it and pay the Illinois rate.
Who does the Cook County minimum wage ordinance cover?
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Employers | The employer needs 4 or more employees in total, one a covered worker (or one domestic worker), plus a Cook County facility and/or County business license. One facility is enough. |
| Workers | Anyone working at least 2 hours in a two-week period physically in Cook County. |
| Not covered | Independent contractors, workers under 18, other governments, and union workers whose contract clearly waives it. |
| Chicago | Own ordinance ($17.05; $12.96 tipped, since July 1, 2026). |
| Suburbs | A town whose own wage is the same or higher uses that wage. Some towns opted out and use the Illinois rate; the only County list (June 2023) is not definitive. |
| Kane, DuPage, Will, Kendall | The County rate does not apply; Illinois pays $15.00 ($9.00 tipped). Illinois law exempts employers with under 4 employees; see the FLSA overview for federal rules. Our Kane, DuPage, Will and Kendall guides cover them. |
What it means for a foreign-owned or cross-border business
| Situation | What the rules say | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters abroad or outside Cook, one Cook office | One Cook County facility is enough, even if headquarters are elsewhere. | Whether the employer has 4 employees in total. |
| Small U.S. subsidiary of a foreign parent | The 4-employee count includes all staff, not only those in Cook. | Headcount across all sites. |
| Sites in Cook and the collar counties | The County rate applies to hours worked in Cook County, in towns that follow it; $15.00 applies elsewhere. | Pay rate by site and town. |
| Workers hired as contractors | Contractors are outside it; underpaid employees can sue for three times the shortfall. | Whether the label matches the real work. |
Page 2 has the rules and checklist, including the July-Lamp Wage Relay, a seven-step review. Related: the Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance and the County business license rules.
Frequently asked questions
Does it apply to an office in Aurora or Naperville?
No. Those offices are outside Cook County, so the Illinois $15.00 rate applies.
Official sources
- Cook County: Minimum Wage Ordinance and Regulations
- Cook County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 42, Division 2 Minimum Wage (Municode)
- Illinois Department of Labor: Minimum Wage Law
- Illinois General Assembly: 820 ILCS 105, Minimum Wage Law, Section 3
- City of Chicago: Minimum Wage Information
This page summarizes public guidance in plain language. If anything here differs from the official source, the official source controls.