Chicago vs. Los Angeles
Computer User Support Specialists. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.
Data released May 2025
BLS OEWS · SOC 15-1232
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 23.6% higher — but after local prices, Los Angeles still leads by 12.8%.
Chicago's median $60,730 buys $58,600 at national prices (price parity 103.6); Los Angeles's $75,070 buys $66,100 (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 | 19,680 | 20,660 | +5.0% |
| 10th percentile | $42,200 | $49,560 | +17.4% |
| 25th percentile | $47,950 | $61,520 | +28.3% |
| Median | $60,730 | $75,070 | +23.6% |
| 75th percentile | $78,040 | $95,120 | +21.9% |
| 90th percentile | $98,590 | $110,150 | +11.7% |
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 User Support Specialists in Chicago · Computer User Support Specialists 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.