Chicago vs. Washington
Lawyers. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.
Data released May 2025
BLS OEWS · SOC 23-1011
Fig. 1 — Side by side
Both distributions, one scale
10th to 90th percentile, median struck in red
Table 1 — Adjusted
Washington's median is 17.8% higher — but after local prices, Washington still leads by 12.1%.
Chicago's median $165,660 buys $159,900 at national prices (price parity 103.6); Washington's $195,190 buys $179,300 (108.9).
Table 2 — The figures
Point by point
Published percentiles for both metros; the last column is Washington against Chicago.
| Chicago | Washington | Δ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | 28,320 | 46,840 | +65.4% |
| 10th percentile | $87,070 | $106,520 | +22.3% |
| 25th percentile | $106,980 | $161,470 | +50.9% |
| Median | $165,660 | $195,190 | +17.8% |
| 75th percentile | $232,270 | $309,140 | +33.1% |
| 90th percentile | $331,140 | $382,890 | +15.6% |
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
- Lawyers in Chicago · Lawyers in Washington
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.