Chicago vs. New York
Tellers. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.
Data released May 2025
BLS OEWS · SOC 43-3071
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 6.0% higher — but after local prices, the advantage flips: a median salary goes further in Chicago.
Chicago's median $44,540 buys $43,000 at national prices (price parity 103.6); New York's $47,230 buys $42,000 (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 | 9,930 | 15,820 | +59.3% |
| 10th percentile | $36,480 | $39,510 | +8.3% |
| 25th percentile | $38,160 | $44,090 | +15.5% |
| Median | $44,540 | $47,230 | +6.0% |
| 75th percentile | $46,160 | $48,960 | +6.1% |
| 90th percentile | $49,030 | $57,160 | +16.6% |
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
- Tellers in Chicago · Tellers 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.