Chicago vs. New York
Childcare Workers. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.
Data released May 2025
BLS OEWS · SOC 39-9011
Fig. 1 — Side by side
Both distributions, one scale
10th to 90th percentile, median struck in red
Table 1 — Adjusted
New York's median is 3.4% higher — but after local prices, the advantage flips: a median salary goes further in Chicago.
Chicago's median $36,610 buys $35,300 at national prices (price parity 103.6); New York's $37,870 buys $33,600 (112.6).
Table 2 — The figures
Point by point
Published percentiles for both metros; the last column is New York against Chicago.
| Chicago | New York | Δ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | 17,540 | 48,780 | +178.1% |
| 10th percentile | $31,200 | $34,360 | +10.1% |
| 25th percentile | $33,770 | $35,930 | +6.4% |
| Median | $36,610 | $37,870 | +3.4% |
| 75th percentile | $38,220 | $43,720 | +14.4% |
| 90th percentile | $45,940 | $46,970 | +2.2% |
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
- Childcare Workers in Chicago · Childcare Workers in New York
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.