Chicago vs. Minneapolis
Bartenders. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.
Data released May 2025
BLS OEWS · SOC 35-3011
Fig. 1 — Side by side
Both distributions, one scale
10th to 90th percentile, median struck in red
Table 1 — Adjusted
Chicago's median is 11.5% higher — but after local prices, Chicago still leads by 12.6%.
Chicago's median $31,200 buys $30,100 at national prices (price parity 103.6); Minneapolis's $27,600 buys $26,300 (104.8).
Table 2 — The figures
Point by point
Published percentiles for both metros; the last column is Minneapolis against Chicago.
| Chicago | Minneapolis | Δ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | 28,750 | 15,370 | −46.5% |
| 10th percentile | $31,200 | $23,150 | −25.8% |
| 25th percentile | $31,200 | $24,300 | −22.1% |
| Median | $31,200 | $27,600 | −11.5% |
| 75th percentile | $33,500 | $33,220 | −0.8% |
| 90th percentile | $48,530 | $43,460 | −10.4% |
Sources
How this page was made
- Wage data
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. Public domain.
- Price parity
- Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Full pages
- Bartenders in Chicago · Bartenders in Minneapolis
Percentiles are reported exactly as released. Derived (price-adjusted) figures round to the nearest hundred. We take no payment for how any figure is presented.