2026 Edition · An annual reference on what work pays

Chicago vs. New York

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.

Data released May 2025 BLS OEWS · SOC 49-9071
Fig. 1 — Side by side

Both distributions, one scale

10th to 90th percentile, median struck in red
40k60k80k CHICAGO $58,020 NEW YORK $59,550
Table 1 — Adjusted

New York's median is 2.6% higher — but after local prices, the advantage flips: a median salary goes further in Chicago.

Chicago's median $58,020 buys $56,000 at national prices (price parity 103.6); New York's $59,550 buys $52,900 (112.6).

Table 2 — The figures

Point by point

Published percentiles for both metros; the last column is New York against Chicago.

ChicagoNew YorkΔ
Employment45,710108,700+137.8%
10th percentile$36,870$37,400+1.4%
25th percentile$45,070$46,400+3.0%
Median$58,020$59,550+2.6%
75th percentile$72,100$71,820−0.4%
90th percentile$82,320$88,050+7.0%
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
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General in Chicago · Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 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.