Chicago vs. New York
Food Preparation Workers. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.
Data released May 2025
BLS OEWS · SOC 35-2021
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 0.7% higher — but after local prices, the advantage flips: a median salary goes further in Chicago.
Chicago's median $35,410 buys $34,200 at national prices (price parity 103.6); New York's $35,670 buys $31,700 (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 | 27,100 | 63,530 | +134.4% |
| 10th percentile | $31,200 | $34,080 | +9.2% |
| 25th percentile | $31,200 | $34,330 | +10.0% |
| Median | $35,410 | $35,670 | +0.7% |
| 75th percentile | $38,870 | $41,600 | +7.0% |
| 90th percentile | $45,330 | $47,650 | +5.1% |
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
- Food Preparation Workers in Chicago · Food Preparation 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.