Sales Manager Salary: Chicago, IL vs San Francisco, CA
Side-by-side comparison of wages and local price levels for Sales Managers in Chicago, IL and San Francisco, CA, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data and BEA regional price parities for 2024.
1Which City Pays More?
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Chicago, IL | San Francisco, CA | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Salary | $158,690 | $170,810▲ | -$12,120 |
| 25th Percentile | $110,000 | $114,990▲ | -$4,990 |
| 75th Percentile | $212,000 | $258,330▲ | -$46,330 |
| 90th Percentile | $288,430 | $336,650▲ | -$48,220 |
| Price Level (BEA 2024, US = 100) | 103.6 | 115.6 | -12.0 |
| Median at National-Average Prices | $153,183▲ | $147,743 | +$5,440 |
| Total Employment | 25,390 | 17,770 | +7,620 |
3Summary Analysis
On paper, San Francisco, CA pays $12,120 more (median: $158,690 vs $170,810). BEA's regional price parity is 103.6 in Chicago, IL and 115.6 in San Francisco, CA (United States = 100). At national-average prices the medians are $153,183 and $147,743, so Chicago, IL comes out ahead once local prices are counted.
5Reading This Comparison
The $12,120 gap between the two medians is a gap in dollars, not in what those dollars buy. Dividing each median by its area's regional price parity restates it at national-average prices: $153,183 for Chicago and $147,743 for San Francisco, a difference of $5,440.
The price levels come from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, which describes them this way: “Regional price parities (RPPs) measure the differences in price levels across states and metropolitan areas for a given year and are expressed as a percentage of the overall national price level.” The figures used here are the all-items index for each whole metropolitan area (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA) and cover prices only, not taxes.
BLS estimates 25,390 Sales Manager jobs in the Chicago area and 17,770 in the San Francisco area. For broader context, see our Illinois overview and the full Sales Manager city ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sales Manager salary higher in Chicago, IL or San Francisco, CA?
San Francisco, CA has the higher median wage for Sales Managers ($170,810 per year, against $158,690 in Chicago, IL; BLS OEWS May 2025). Restated at national-average prices using BEA regional price parities, the medians are $153,183 in Chicago, IL and $147,743 in San Francisco, CA.
How do prices compare between Chicago, IL and San Francisco, CA?
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis puts the 2024 regional price parity at 103.6 for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area and 115.6 for the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan area, where the United States is 100. That is 3.6% above the national level for Chicago, IL and 15.6% above the national level for San Francisco, CA.
Which city pays Sales Managers more once local prices are counted?
Chicago, IL: at national-average prices its median Sales Manager wage is $153,183, against $147,743 for San Francisco, CA. The adjustment divides each median by the area's BEA regional price parity and covers prices only, not taxes.