Boston, MA Salary Guide (2024)
The median annual wage across all occupations in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area is $64,620, spread over roughly 2,707,940 jobs. This guide breaks that down across 80 detailed occupations with released wage data, from general and operations managers down to the smallest job categories BLS can publish.
Salary by occupation in Boston, MA
Ranked by median annual wage. Every row links to a full page with the local pay distribution, the percentile breakdown, and how the metro compares with the rest of the country.
| Occupation | Hourly | Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $62.43 | $129,850 | 76,980 |
| Registered Nurses | $49.25 | $102,440 | 66,440 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $19.13 | $39,790 | 63,880 |
| Retail Salespersons | $17.58 | $36,570 | 62,540 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $17.03 | $35,430 | 57,320 |
| Software Developers | $74.15 | $154,240 | 48,200 |
| Cashiers | $16.90 | $35,150 | 45,260 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $22.23 | $46,230 | 44,220 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $23.59 | $49,060 | 41,150 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $17.81 | $37,040 | 38,520 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $46.91 | $97,580 | 36,300 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $18.40 | $38,280 | 35,650 |
| Office Clerks, General | $23.88 | $49,670 | 35,480 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $46.12 | $95,930 | 30,540 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $37.01 | $76,980 | 29,130 |
| Management Analysts | $64.70 | $134,580 | 26,530 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $26.95 | $56,060 | 25,970 |
| Nursing Assistants | $22.17 | $46,110 | 25,870 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | $18.26 | $37,980 | 25,480 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $38.39 | $79,860 | 25,020 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $21.91 | $45,570 | 24,690 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $22.58 | $46,970 | 24,410 |
| Financial Managers | $90.62 | $188,490 | 22,830 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $28.08 | $58,400 | 22,660 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $99.59 | $207,150 | 22,280 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $41.63 | $86,600 | 22,040 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $45.78 | $95,220 | 20,760 |
| Human Resources Specialists | $40.35 | $83,930 | 20,410 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $29.58 | $61,530 | 20,220 |
| Security Guards | $21.78 | $45,300 | 19,650 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | $27.87 | $57,960 | 19,530 |
| Lawyers | $93.63 | $194,740 | 18,900 |
| Project Management Specialists | $52.89 | $110,010 | 17,130 |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | $20.92 | $43,520 | 16,550 |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | $24.26 | $50,460 | 16,540 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $22.69 | $47,200 | 16,450 |
| Financial and Investment Analysts | $53.10 | $110,450 | 15,880 |
| Bartenders | $17.43 | $36,260 | 15,700 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $43.83 | $91,160 | 15,670 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | $37.38 | $77,750 | 15,640 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $37.60 | $78,200 | 15,620 |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $62.13 | $129,230 | 15,330 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | $27.13 | $56,430 | 15,310 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $47.80 | $99,430 | 14,540 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $64.89 | $134,980 | 14,330 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $59.40 | $123,550 | 14,160 |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $22.77 | $47,360 | 13,810 |
| Packers and Packagers, Hand | $16.38 | $34,070 | 13,600 |
| Light Truck Drivers | $23.16 | $48,180 | 13,470 |
| Carpenters | $35.48 | $73,800 | 13,030 |
Median pay across these occupations runs from $34,070 to $207,150 — a 6.1× spread between the lowest- and highest-paid detailed occupations in the metro. The all-occupation median of $64,620 sits nearer the bottom of that range, because the largest job categories in most metros are also among the lower-paid ones.
Frequently asked questions about Boston, MA pay
What is the median salary in Boston, MA?
Across all occupations, the median annual wage in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area is $64,620. Total employment covered by the survey is about 2,707,940 jobs.
Which jobs pay the most in Boston, MA?
The highest median wage in the metro belongs to general and operations managers at $129,850, followed by registered nurses ($102,440) and home health and personal care aides ($39,790).
How many occupations are covered for Boston, MA?
This guide covers 80 detailed occupations with released wage data for the metro area, out of the 800+ detailed occupations the OEWS survey tracks nationally. Occupations with too few workers locally to publish a reliable estimate are excluded by BLS.
Is this enough to live on in Boston, MA?
These are nominal wages — they are not adjusted for local housing, tax, or transport costs. A median that looks high in Boston, MA may buy less than a lower median in a cheaper metro. Use the all-occupation median of $64,620 as the local baseline and compare any specific job against that, not against the national number.
About these figures
Data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024. OEWS surveys employers, so it excludes self-employed workers and independent contractors, and it reports wages rather than total compensation. Occupations with too few workers locally to produce a reliable estimate are suppressed by BLS and therefore absent from this page.
Full detail in the methodology. Original data: bls.gov/oes.