At a glance
The nominal median for Registered Nurses is $101,130 in Denver versus $100,490 in Chicago, a gap of $640 a year.
After the BEA 2024 price adjustment the order flips and Chicago leads: $97,003 versus $95,602, a gap of $1,401.
Published medians for the occupation, not an offer, take-home pay or a relocation recommendation.
Sources: BLS wages (May 2025) · BEA price parity (2024) · Census ACS (2020–2024) · metro areas, not city limits · How we calculate
Chicago vs. Denver: key measures
For registered nurses, work settings, specialties, contracts and licensing can matter as much as the metro-wide wage median. The figures describe metropolitan statistical areas, not city limits.
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| Measure | Chicago | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $77,410 | $81,210 |
| 25th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $82,640 | $85,390 |
| Annual occupational median (BLS) | $100,490 | $101,130 |
| 75th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $108,430 | $109,760 |
| 90th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $119,260 | $125,870 |
| Price-adjusted median (site calculation) | $97,003 | $95,602 |
| All-items RPP (BEA) | 103.595 | 105.782 |
| Median gross rent / month (ACS) | $1,430 | $1,874 |
| 45+ minute commute share (ACS) | 23.5% | 15.4% |
The price-adjusted wage equals the BLS May 2025 annual occupational median × 100 ÷ the BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity. Census rent, household income and commuting figures are ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. They describe different populations and do not determine take-home pay, employment prospects or individual rent. ACS gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated utility and fuel costs.
What changes when location is considered?
Denver leads on published nominal annual median pay by $640. Chicago leads on the national-price-equivalent median by $1,401. The higher nominal wage reverses after the broad price adjustment.
These are different lenses: the nominal figures come from BLS, while the adjusted metric uses the 2024 BEA all-items regional price parity (103.6 for Chicago versus 105.8 for Denver). Neither is a prediction of an actual offer.
Denver has a higher metro-wide ACS monthly median gross rent by $444. The share of workers with one-way trips of at least 45 minutes is 8.1 percentage points higher in Chicago.
How Chicago and Denver rank for this occupation
Out of the 74 curated metros with a reported registered nurses median, Chicago ranks 24th on nominal median pay and 34th on price-adjusted pay. Denver ranks 22nd nominal and 37th adjusted. The middle adjusted median across all 74 metros is $95,438: Chicago’s ($97,003) is 1.6% above that middle value and Denver’s ($95,602) is 0.2% above it.
Ranks compare published medians for this one occupation. See all 74 metros for registered nurses for the full list.
Pay at each percentile and how common the job is
After the BEA price adjustment, Chicago is higher at 2 of the 5 published percentile levels and Denver at 3. The 90th percentile is 1.5× the 10th in Chicago and 1.5× in Denver; the middle half of wages spans 26% of the median in Chicago and 24% in Denver.
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| Percentile | Chicago adjusted | Denver adjusted | Higher after adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $74,724 | $76,771 | Denver |
| 25th | $79,772 | $80,723 | Denver |
| 50th (median) | $97,003 | $95,602 | Chicago |
| 75th | $104,667 | $103,761 | Chicago |
| 90th | $115,121 | $118,990 | Denver |
Twelve months of median gross rent equals 17% of the registered nurses median wage in Chicago and 22% in Denver (a lens, not a budget). BLS estimates 100,240 such workers in Chicago and 30,380 in Denver. Per 10,000 commuting workers that is 262.5 versus 241.7, ranking 40th and 55th of 74 metros (middle value 263.8). These are employment estimates, not open vacancies.
A role-specific offer checklist for this comparison
Match the actual work: Registered-nurse pay reflects diverse hospitals, clinics and employers. These metro-wide estimates do not measure shift differentials, experience, specialties or licensing requirements. Before treating the median difference as a personal salary difference, confirm that both positions share responsibilities, experience requirements and hours, and compare written offers with local rent quotes. The full checklist has the steps.
How reliable are the surrounding housing estimates?
These ACS medians are 2020–2024 five-year metro estimates with published margins of error. Household income covers households, not workers in this occupation.
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| ACS metro context | Chicago | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent (± MOE) | $1,430 ± $6 | $1,874 ± $9 |
| Median household income (± MOE) | $90,887 ± $454 | $105,762 ± $739 |
Neither displayed rent nor income estimate crosses the site’s 30% relative-MOE caution threshold. Sampling uncertainty still applies. The 30% flag is our editorial rule, not a Census certification. See the methodology.
How should I use these figures for a relocation decision?
Start with written offers and real housing quotes, then enter them in the browser-only worksheet. Rent is already part of the price parity, so do not subtract it again from a price-adjusted salary. These comparisons are not placement, tax or financial advice.