Chicago vs. Phoenix
Construction Laborers. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.
Data released May 2025
BLS OEWS · SOC 47-2061
Fig. 1 — Side by side
Both distributions, one scale
10th to 90th percentile, median struck in red
Table 1 — Adjusted
Chicago's median is 23.0% higher — but after local prices, Chicago still leads by 22.8%.
Chicago's median $60,890 buys $58,800 at national prices (price parity 103.6); Phoenix's $46,910 buys $45,400 (103.3).
Table 2 — The figures
Point by point
Published percentiles for both metros; the last column is Phoenix against Chicago.
| Chicago | Phoenix | Δ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | 26,690 | 29,230 | +9.5% |
| 10th percentile | $39,100 | $36,770 | −6.0% |
| 25th percentile | $46,290 | $41,160 | −11.1% |
| Median | $60,890 | $46,910 | −23.0% |
| 75th percentile | $100,750 | $51,800 | −48.6% |
| 90th percentile | $105,500 | $62,250 | −41.0% |
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
- Construction Laborers in Chicago · Construction Laborers in Phoenix
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.