Start with the answer
Sewers, Hand pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
The May 2025 BLS OEWS median for Sewers, Hand is $36,480 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. It is $48,580 per year in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is 24.9% below Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO on the published median.
Both rows use SOC 51-6051 and the same annual wage metric. Median means the middle of each area's published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. The larger median is not proof that one place gives a better job or a better result. It is one wage fact from one source period.
BLS lists Not published wage and salary jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Not published in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO. Those are survey job counts, not open posts. Read pay, job scale, local share, and price level as separate facts before you make a choice.
Evidence: bls-oews-may-2025 · Rule: same-soc-same-metric-pair · nominal-median-gap · employment-not-openings
