Pritzker’s record: Illinois wages grow 0% in 7 years
The state’s wages are at a standstill as lawmakers give themselves $34,000 in pay increases.
Illinois workers haven’t seen their purchasing power grow since J.B. Pritzker became governor.
Real adjusted hourly wages in Illinois shrunk 0.02% a year on average from 2018 to 2025, making the state one of only seven that saw a dip in that time.
Even if paychecks — nominal wages — are going up on average, rising pricing makes the gains basically a wash.
Illinois’ adjusted real hourly wage growth from 2018 to 2025 was seventh-slowest among the states. The Midwest did better: Excluding Illinois, the region’s wages grew at a compound annual rate of 0.6% a year from 2018 to 2025.
Illinois is often seen as a high-income state. Before Pritzker took office that was true, with the state’s workers having the 13th-highest average hourly wages in the nation, adjusted for the cost of living in each state.
As of 2025, Illinois had fallen to 26th.
Illinois’ advantage in real wages, which could’ve justified the state’s high taxes on workers, has eroded during Pritzker’s tenure.
The state’s wage stagnation is in stark contrast to what Pritzker has done for fellow state politicians. He signed off on a pay increase for state lawmakers this June that brings their base annual salary to $101,450 and makes them the fourth-highest-paid state lawmakers in the country.
Since Pritzker took office in early 2019, Illinois lawmakers have given themselves raises totaling nearly $34,000 in base pay.
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- Pritzker’s record: Over $35 billion in personal income left Illinois during his first term