Chicago vs. Philadelphia
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.
Data released May 2025
BLS OEWS · SOC 35-2012
Fig. 1 — Side by side
Both distributions, one scale
10th to 90th percentile, median struck in red
Table 1 — Adjusted
Philadelphia's median is 1.5% higher — but after local prices, Philadelphia still leads by 2.5%.
Chicago's median $38,290 buys $37,000 at national prices (price parity 103.6); Philadelphia's $38,870 buys $37,900 (102.6).
Table 2 — The figures
Point by point
Published percentiles for both metros; the last column is Philadelphia against Chicago.
| Chicago | Philadelphia | Δ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | 14,010 | 9,810 | −30.0% |
| 10th percentile | $31,510 | $30,340 | −3.7% |
| 25th percentile | $36,170 | $35,580 | −1.6% |
| Median | $38,290 | $38,870 | +1.5% |
| 75th percentile | $46,000 | $45,560 | −1.0% |
| 90th percentile | $49,540 | $48,400 | −2.3% |
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
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Chicago · Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Philadelphia
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.