Chicago vs. Los Angeles
Computer and Information Systems Managers. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.
Data released May 2025
BLS OEWS · SOC 11-3021
Fig. 1 — Side by side
Both distributions, one scale
10th to 90th percentile, median struck in red
Table 1 — Adjusted
Los Angeles's median is 17.6% higher — but after local prices, Los Angeles still leads by 7.3%.
Chicago's median $173,760 buys $167,700 at national prices (price parity 103.6); Los Angeles's $204,370 buys $180,000 (113.6).
Table 2 — The figures
Point by point
Published percentiles for both metros; the last column is Los Angeles against Chicago.
| Chicago | Los Angeles | Δ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | 24,950 | 23,180 | −7.1% |
| 10th percentile | $112,980 | $125,600 | +11.2% |
| 25th percentile | $138,190 | $163,820 | +18.5% |
| Median | $173,760 | $204,370 | +17.6% |
| 75th percentile | $214,880 | $242,970 | +13.1% |
| 90th percentile | $280,060 | $297,260 | +6.1% |
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
- Computer and Information Systems Managers in Chicago · Computer and Information Systems Managers in Los Angeles
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.