At a glance
The nominal median for Software Developers is $166,830 in New York versus $134,380 in Chicago, a gap of $32,450 a year.
After the BEA 2024 price adjustment New York still leads: $148,210 versus $129,717, a gap of $18,493.
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
New York vs. Chicago: key measures
For the BLS Software Developers classification, this comparison holds the occupation code constant between New York and Chicago. It pairs reported wage percentiles with regional prices, metro rents and commuting context. The metrics are not job offers, apartment quotes or a complete household budget. The figures describe metropolitan statistical areas, not city limits.
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| Measure | New York | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $101,690 | $83,820 |
| 25th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $130,650 | $104,530 |
| Annual occupational median (BLS) | $166,830 | $134,380 |
| 75th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $205,970 | $167,650 |
| 90th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $224,590 | $203,410 |
| Price-adjusted median (site calculation) | $148,210 | $129,717 |
| All-items RPP (BEA) | 112.563 | 103.595 |
| Median gross rent / month (ACS) | $1,830 | $1,430 |
| 45+ minute commute share (ACS) | 32.4% | 23.5% |
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?
New York leads on published nominal annual median pay by $32,450. New York leads on the national-price-equivalent median by $18,493. Both measures point to the same higher-paying metro, but the advantage changes in size after adjustment.
These are different lenses: the nominal figures come from BLS, while the adjusted metric uses the 2024 BEA all-items regional price parity (112.6 for New York versus 103.6 for Chicago). Neither is a prediction of an actual offer.
New York has a higher metro-wide ACS monthly median gross rent by $400. The share of workers with one-way trips of at least 45 minutes is 8.9 percentage points higher in New York.
How New York and Chicago rank for this occupation
Out of the 75 curated metros with a reported software developers median, New York ranks 4th on nominal median pay and 6th on price-adjusted pay. Chicago ranks 17th nominal and 44th adjusted. The middle adjusted median across all 75 metros is $130,908: New York’s ($148,210) is 13.2% above that middle value and Chicago’s ($129,717) is 0.9% below it.
Ranks compare published medians for this one occupation. See all 75 metros for software developers for the full list.
Pay at each percentile and how common the job is
After the BEA price adjustment, New York is higher at 5 of the 5 published percentile levels and Chicago at 0. The 90th percentile is 2.2× the 10th in New York and 2.4× in Chicago; the middle half of wages spans 45% of the median in New York and 47% in Chicago.
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| Percentile | New York adjusted | Chicago adjusted | Higher after adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $90,341 | $80,911 | New York |
| 25th | $116,068 | $100,903 | New York |
| 50th (median) | $148,210 | $129,717 | New York |
| 75th | $182,982 | $161,832 | New York |
| 90th | $199,524 | $196,351 | New York |
Twelve months of median gross rent equals 13% of the software developers median wage in New York and 13% in Chicago (a lens, not a budget). BLS estimates 121,000 such workers in New York and 40,370 in Chicago. Per 10,000 commuting workers that is 153.1 versus 105.7, ranking 17th and 34th of 75 metros (middle value 97.7). These are employment estimates, not open vacancies.
A role-specific offer checklist for this comparison
Match the actual work: Software developer wages vary across technology centers and broader regional labor markets. Compare the local median alongside regional price levels rather than relying on a national salary headline. 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 | New York | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent (± MOE) | $1,830 ± $5 | $1,430 ± $6 |
| Median household income (± MOE) | $99,155 ± $487 | $90,887 ± $454 |
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.