Software Engineer Salary: Chicago vs New York
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇺🇸 Chicago
United States
$140K USD
$140K USD
$140K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-13%
Chicago vs New York
🇺🇸 New York
United States
$160K USD
$160K USD
$160K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Chicago | New York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | $140K USD | $160K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $140K | $160K | -13% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $140K | $160K 🏆 | -13% |
| 25th Percentile | $112K USD | $128K USD | — |
| Median | $140K USD | $160K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | $175K USD | $200K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | $151K USD | $173K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Chicago offers a Software Engineer salary of $140K USD, while New York offers $160K USD — a difference of -13% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Chicago's salary is worth $140K in US purchasing power terms, versus $160K for New York. This means New York offers better real purchasing power for this role.
PPP adjustment accounts for differences in local prices — for example, housing costs 3x more in San Francisco than in Warsaw, so a San Francisco salary needs to be much higher to provide an equivalent standard of living.