What is the average salary in Boston?

The median annual wage across all occupations in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area is $64,620, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data for May 2024. That covers roughly 2.7 million workers.

How much do you take home after taxes in Boston?

On the $64,620 median wage, a single filer in Boston takes home about $50,794 per year ($4,233 per month) after federal, state taxes — an effective rate of 21.4%.

Does Boston have a city income tax?

No. Boston does not levy a local income tax, so residents pay federal, FICA, and Massachusetts state income tax, plus Massachusetts's MA PFML payroll levy.

Boston Salary Calculator — Take-Home Pay After Tax (2026)

The median wage across all occupations in Boston is $64,620, which leaves about $50,794 after federal, Massachusetts state taxes.

Median Wage

$64,620

all occupations

Take-Home

$50,794

$4,233/mo

Effective Tax Rate

21.4%

fed + state + FICA + levies

Workers

2.7M

rank #4 of 20 by pay

Full Tax Breakdown — $64,620 in Boston

Single filer, standard deduction, 2026 rates.

Annual Take-Home$50,794After all taxes

Monthly$4,233Net per month

Bi-Weekly$1,954Every 2 weeks

Effective Tax Rate21.4%Fed + state + FICA + levies

◆

$297/yr in state payroll deductions beyond income tax and FICA — Paid Family and Medical Leave ($297). Mandatory and withheld from every paycheck.

Where Your Money Goes

21.4%effective rate

Take-Home$50,79478.6%

Federal Tax$5,5748.6%

State & Local Tax$3,0114.7%

FICA$4,9437.6%

MA PFML$2970.5%

Federal Tax Brackets

10%

$1,240

12%

$4,334

Affordability Snapshot

Based on your $4,233/mo take-home — 50/30/20 rule

Needs (50%)$2,116/mo

Rent, groceries, utilities, transport

Wants (30%)$1,270/mo

Dining, entertainment, hobbies

Savings (20%)$847/mo

401k, emergency fund, investments

🏠

Recommended Max Rent

$1,270/mo

30% of monthly take-home — the commonly recommended housing cost ceiling.

Annual Savings Potential

$10,159

Daily Take-Home

$195

Paycheck Breakdown

All figures in USD

Item	Annual	Monthly	Bi-Weekly	Weekly	Daily	Hourly
Gross Pay	$64,620	$5,385	$2,485	$1,243	$249	$31
Federal Income Tax	−$5,574	−$465	−$214	−$107	−$21	−$3
State Income Tax	−$3,011	−$251	−$116	−$58	−$12	−$1
Social Security	−$4,006	−$334	−$154	−$77	−$15	−$2
Medicare	−$937	−$78	−$36	−$18	−$4	−$0
MA PFML	−$297	−$25	−$11	−$6	−$1	−$0
Total Taxes	−$13,826	−$1,152	−$532	−$266	−$53	−$7
Take-Home Pay	$50,794	$4,233	$1,954	$977	$195	$24

Federal Rate

8.6%

State Rate

5.1%

Total Rate

21.4%

State-by-State Comparison

Same $64,620 salary across popular states

State	Take-Home	Total Tax	Eff. Rate
TXTexasNo Tax	$54,102	$10,518	16.3%
FLFloridaNo Tax	$54,102	$10,518	16.3%
NVNevadaNo Tax	$54,102	$10,518	16.3%
WAWashingtonNo Tax	$53,206 -$896	$11,414 -$896/yr	17.7%
OHOhio	$53,107 -$995	$11,513 -$995/yr	17.8%
PAPennsylvania	$52,073 -$2,029	$12,547 -$2,029/yr	19.4%
CACalifornia	$51,164 -$2,938	$13,456 -$2,938/yr	20.8%
ILIllinois	$51,048 -$3,054	$13,572 -$3,054/yr	21.0%
NYNew York	$50,899 -$3,203	$13,721 -$3,203/yr	21.2%
MAMassachusettsYou	$50,794 -$3,308	$13,826 -$3,308/yr	21.4%

Ways to Increase Your Take-Home

📈

A $5,000 401(k) contribution saves $850/yr in taxes

Pre-tax 401(k) contributions reduce your federal and state taxable income. Contributing an additional $5,000 would increase your monthly take-home by $417 while building retirement savings.

💍

Married filing jointly saves $2,400/yr

If you're married, filing jointly gives you a $32,200 standard deduction (vs $16,100 single) and wider tax brackets. This would add $200/month to your take-home.

🗺️

Moving to a no-tax state could net $3,308 more per year

States like Texas and Florida have no state income tax. At your salary, moving to Texas would mean $3,308/year more take-home — $276/month — with no change to your gross salary.

Compare states →

Results for $64,620 salary · 2026 tax year

Take-Home Pay by Salary in Boston

Gross Salary	Take-Home / Year	Per Month	Effective Rate
$40,000	$32,356	$2,696	19.1%
$50,000	$39,845	$3,320	20.3%
$60,000	$47,334	$3,945	21.1%
$75,000	$57,718	$4,810	23.0%
$100,000	$73,940	$6,162	26.1%
$125,000	$90,099	$7,508	27.9%
$150,000	$105,821	$8,818	29.5%
$200,000	$138,298	$11,525	30.9%

Boston Salaries by Occupation

BLS median wage for each occupation in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area, with take-home after all 2026 taxes.

Occupation	Median Wage	Take-Home	Eff. Rate
Physician (General Practice)	$239,200	$163,503	31.6%
Marketing Manager	$200,010	$138,305	30.9%
Lawyer	$194,740	$134,640	30.9%
Human Resources Manager	$180,050	$124,719	30.7%
Software Engineering Manager	$178,800	$123,933	30.7%
Construction Manager	$156,590	$109,965	29.8%
Software Developer	$154,240	$108,488	29.7%
Nurse Practitioner	$138,890	$98,834	28.8%
Pharmacist	$136,800	$97,520	28.7%
Physician Assistant	$135,000	$96,388	28.6%
Veterinarian	$132,790	$94,998	28.5%
Data Scientist	$131,830	$94,394	28.4%
Operations Manager	$129,850	$93,149	28.3%
Electrical Engineer	$127,520	$91,683	28.1%
Mechanical Engineer	$124,160	$89,570	27.9%
Financial Analyst	$110,450	$80,721	26.9%
UX Designer	$108,300	$79,326	26.8%
Civil Engineer	$104,750	$77,022	26.5%
Registered Nurse	$102,440	$75,523	26.3%
Dental Hygienist	$102,060	$75,277	26.2%
Radiologic Technologist	$101,800	$75,108	26.2%
Physical Therapist	$101,470	$74,894	26.2%
Occupational Therapist	$98,790	$73,155	25.9%
Accountant	$97,580	$72,370	25.8%
Real Estate Agent	$91,290	$68,288	25.2%
Psychologist	$87,060	$65,543	24.7%
Elementary School Teacher	$86,600	$65,245	24.7%
Plumber	$83,640	$63,324	24.3%
Electrician	$83,450	$63,201	24.3%
Police Officer	$78,610	$60,060	23.6%
Graphic Designer	$78,000	$59,664	23.5%
Social Worker	$75,210	$57,854	23.1%
Firefighter	$73,700	$56,874	22.8%
Truck Driver (Heavy)	$61,530	$48,480	21.2%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (MSA 14460). Occupations BLS does not publish an estimate for in this metro are omitted rather than guessed.

How these Boston numbers are calculated

Wages are published BLS medians for the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan statistical area — the wider metro, not Boston city limits. Taxes are 2026 federal brackets, FICA, and Massachusetts state income tax, for a single filer taking the standard deduction. Cost of living is not modeled — a higher wage here does not automatically mean more spending power. Full methodology.