Jury Duty Pay in Illinois

About Jury Duty in Illinois

Illinois pays jurors $25 for the first day and $50 for each day thereafter — a tiered structure that provides meaningful compensation for longer trials. Cook County (Chicago) is the second-largest unified court system in the US and operates its own jury infrastructure with transit-focused reimbursement.

How Jury Pay Works

Under 55 ILCS 5/4-11001, Illinois uses a two-tier system: $25 for day one, $50/day from day two onward. Counties may set higher amounts. Mileage reimbursement varies by county. This puts Illinois above most of its Midwestern neighbors — Indiana pays $15/$40, Michigan pays $25/$45, and Ohio pays just $10/day in many counties.

Cook County and Chicago

Cook County is the second-largest unified court system in the US (after Los Angeles County), handling millions of cases annually. The Richard J. Daley Center jury assembly room can handle over 1,000 jurors at a time. The county provides CTA and Metra transit vouchers rather than mileage reimbursement for city residents — a practical approach in a region where driving to court means expensive downtown parking.

Employer Obligations

Illinois employers are not required to pay wages during jury service but cannot fire or penalize employees who serve. Many Chicago-based corporations continue full salary voluntarily. Unlike New York with its employer-paid first three days, Illinois places the full financial burden on the state and the juror.

Regional Variation

Outside Cook County, jury operations vary enormously. Downstate counties like Jackson or Saline may summon only a few hundred jurors per year. The $25/$50 rate applies statewide, but the practical experience differs dramatically between Chicago’s urban jury system and rural county courthouses.

How Illinois Compares

Illinois’s $25/$50 tiered rate is above average for the Midwest. The $50 second-day rate approaches New York’s $72/day for longer trials, while the $25 first-day rate is more generous than Texas’s $20 first day. For federal jury service in Chicago’s Dirksen Federal Building, jurors receive $50/day from day one — matching Illinois’s subsequent-day rate.

Statute: 55 ILCS 5/4-11001 — Official source