State salary profile · Massachusetts

Massachusetts Salaries

Massachusetts ranks #2 by BLS All Occupations mean; occupation detail from OEWS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, Barnstable Town, MA, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area, Pittsfield, MA, Springfield, MA, then Worcester, MA.

$204,330
Mean of top 50 medians
717
Occupations
7
Local wage areas
273,380
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in Massachusetts is $204,330.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 717 occupations in Massachusetts; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Radiologists, earns $426,560, versus $33,940 for Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 6 metro areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area. Published local OEWS areas include Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, Barnstable Town, MA, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area, Pittsfield, MA, Springfield, MA, then Worcester, MA.

Massachusetts · employment ≠ wage

In Massachusetts, Home Health and Personal Care Aides lead by published employment (117,940 jobs, #1 of 656) but rank #604 of 656 on median wage ($40,910), while Surgeons, All Other top the wage list at $387,150 (#1 of 656) with 770 jobs (#427 of 656). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.

117,940
Home Health and Personal C... employment #1
$387,150
Surgeons wage #1
#427
Employment rank of wage leader
#604
Wage rank of employment leader

Employment is OEWS tot_emp inside this state; pay is the occupation median. Same detailed-occupation pool, two rankings.

Employment of Massachusetts's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage

Same unit (published jobs) for both named leaders. BLS OEWS May 2025.

jobs

What this shows Home Health and Personal Care Aides lead Massachusetts by employment; Surgeons, All Other lead on median wage at $387,150.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

Massachusetts, the picture in one line

Massachusetts ranks #2 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Radiologists at $426,560. Published local OEWS areas include Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, Barnstable Town, MA, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area, Pittsfield, MA, Springfield, MA, then Worcester, MA.

#2
of 54 states by published mean wage
$426,560
top-paying: Radiologists
96th
percentile among all states
Amherst Town-Northampton, MA
local OEWS: Amherst Town-Northampton, MA and Barnstable Town, MA

The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA.

Employment scale inside Massachusetts's top-pay list

Software Developers and Financial Managers lead Massachusetts's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.

  1. 1. Software Developers 48,190 jobs · $165,210
  2. 2. Financial Managers 26,150 jobs · $206,760
  3. 3. Computer and Information Systems Managers 24,910 jobs · $214,960
  4. 4. Lawyers 23,560 jobs · $176,680
  5. 5. Sales Managers 15,010 jobs · $191,200
  6. 6. Marketing Managers 14,270 jobs · $212,020
  7. 7. Managers, All Other 10,630 jobs · $182,950
  8. 8. Natural Sciences Managers 10,590 jobs · $267,290
  9. 9. Construction Managers 9,870 jobs · $145,010
  10. 10. Physicians, All Other 8,210 jobs · $236,580
  11. 11. Nurse Practitioners 8,070 jobs · $142,440
  12. 12. Architectural and Engineering Managers 7,690 jobs · $201,430
  13. 13. Human Resources Managers 7,540 jobs · $181,780
  14. 14. Computer Network Architects 6,270 jobs · $155,060
  15. 15. Electronics Engineers, Except Computer 5,910 jobs · $138,230
  16. 16. Industrial Production Managers 4,470 jobs · $148,050
  17. 17. Physician Assistants 4,470 jobs · $142,410
  18. 18. Family Medicine Physicians 3,540 jobs · $277,490
  19. 19. Computer Hardware Engineers 3,150 jobs · $167,600
  20. 20. Dentists, General 2,780 jobs · $181,600

Local BLS wage areas inside Massachusetts

Published local OEWS areas include Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, Barnstable Town, MA, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area, Pittsfield, MA, Springfield, MA, then Worcester, MA.

Amherst Town-Northampton, MA Barnstable Town, MA Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area Pittsfield, MA Springfield, MA Worcester, MA

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in Massachusetts moved from $62,270 in May 2024 to $63,590 in May 2025 (+2.1%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • Massachusetts sits -0.6 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Natural Sciences Managers shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in Massachusetts

Natural Sciences Managers publishes $267,290 here versus $167,220 nationally (+59.8%; 10,590statewide jobs). Next is Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers at $103,410 locally versus $69,990 nationally (+47.7%).

  1. Natural Sciences Managers$267,290 in Massachusetts sits 59.8% above the national Natural Sciences Managers median of $167,220 (10,590 published local jobs).
  2. Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers$103,410 in Massachusetts sits 47.7% above the national Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers median of $69,990 (7,320 published local jobs).
  3. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$93,880 in Massachusetts sits 47.1% above the national Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters median of $63,800 (13,460 published local jobs).
  4. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$94,000 in Massachusetts sits 46.9% above the national Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education median of $63,970 (29,930 published local jobs).

Natural Sciences Managers and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for Massachusetts; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The Massachusetts OEWS table has a published median for 717 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 273,380; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $204,330 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS areas include Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, Barnstable Town, MA, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area, Pittsfield, MA, Springfield, MA, then Worcester, MA. Local OEWS areas in this extract include Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, Barnstable Town, MA, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area, Pittsfield, MA, Springfield, MA, Worcester, MA.

At the top of the ranking, Radiologists pays a Massachusetts median of $426,560, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric at $392,300, followed by Surgeons, All Other at $387,150. At the bottom of the published range, Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers has a median of $33,940, making the displayed endpoint ratio 12.6×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 6 metro areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area assigned to Massachusetts, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

Massachusetts's #2 All Occupations rank is a different statistic from Radiologists's occupation median. Use the state rank for cross-state context, then open Radiologists's national profile for percentile boundaries where BLS publishes them, see methodology. Published local OEWS areas include Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, Barnstable Town, MA, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area, Pittsfield, MA, Springfield, MA, then Worcester, MA. Local OEWS area names are state-specific; statewide means are not metro offers.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$204,330

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$426,560

Radiologists

Where Massachusetts ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Amherst Town-Northampton, MA and Barnstable Town, MA, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

$85,610 Top 4% higher than 96% of 54 states & territories

$0–$5,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 16 states & territories (30%). Below this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 states & territories (7%). Below this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Below this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 1 states & territories (2%). This entry sits in this band. $90,000–$95,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. This state $0 $115,000 every state & territory, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$5,000 0 states & territories 0%
$5,000–$10,000 0 states & territories 0%
$10,000–$15,000 0 states & territories 0%
$15,000–$20,000 0 states & territories 0%
$20,000–$25,000 0 states & territories 0%
$25,000–$30,000 0 states & territories 0%
$30,000–$35,000 0 states & territories 0%
$35,000–$40,000 1 states & territories 2%
$40,000–$45,000 0 states & territories 0%
$45,000–$50,000 1 states & territories 2%
$50,000–$55,000 3 states & territories 6%
$55,000–$60,000 8 states & territories 15%
$60,000–$65,000 16 states & territories 30%
$65,000–$70,000 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 8 states & territories 15%
$75,000–$80,000 4 states & territories 7%
$80,000–$85,000 3 states & territories 6%
$85,000–$90,000 (this entry) 1 states & territories 2%
$90,000–$95,000 0 states & territories 0%
$95,000–$100,000 0 states & territories 0%
$100,000–$105,000 0 states & territories 0%
$105,000–$110,000 0 states & territories 0%
$110,000–$115,000 1 states & territories 2%

$85,610 · 96th percentile of 54 states & territories

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Massachusetts ranks #2 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($85,610). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $85,610 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $80,917. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for Massachusetts (RPP 105.8, 2024; 100 = national average, all items, table SARPP). The division is a WageDex calculation, not an after-tax or household-income measure.

Highest-paying occupations in Massachusetts

Median annual wage by occupation, top 15 reported roles

median / yr
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

BLS publishes wage data for 717 distinct occupations in Massachusetts. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.

Highest Paying Jobs in Massachusetts

View all 100 →
# Occupation Median Salary
1 Radiologists $426,560
2 Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric $392,300
3 Surgeons, All Other $387,150
4 Emergency Medicine Physicians $356,230
5 Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $325,200
6 Nurse Anesthetists $295,550
7 General Internal Medicine Physicians $285,250
8 Physicians, Pathologists $285,240
9 Family Medicine Physicians $277,490
10 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $272,240
11 Natural Sciences Managers $267,290
12 Physicians, All Other $236,580
13 Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $221,710
14 Pediatricians, General $221,170
15 Podiatrists $217,700
16 Computer and Information Systems Managers $214,960
17 Marketing Managers $212,020
18 Financial Managers $206,760
19 Architectural and Engineering Managers $201,430
20 Sales Managers $191,200
21 Compensation and Benefits Managers $184,070
22 Managers, All Other $182,950
23 Human Resources Managers $181,780
24 Dentists, General $181,600
25 Lawyers $176,680
26 Public Relations Managers $171,740
27 Purchasing Managers $170,750
28 Computer and Information Research Scientists $170,510
29 Computer Hardware Engineers $167,600
30 Software Developers $165,210
31 Economics Teachers, Postsecondary $164,410
32 Advertising and Promotions Managers $163,090
33 Database Architects $161,650
34 Nurse Midwives $159,800
35 Computer Network Architects $155,060
36 Fundraising Managers $151,740
37 Optometrists $151,730
38 Aerospace Engineers $149,470
39 Art Directors $149,320
40 Industrial Production Managers $148,050
41 Nuclear Engineers $145,760
42 Construction Managers $145,010
43 Judicial Law Clerks $143,350
44 Nurse Practitioners $142,440
45 Physician Assistants $142,410
46 Medical Dosimetrists $140,990
47 Veterinarians $140,260
48 Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $138,420
49 Physical Scientists, All Other $138,380
50 Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $138,230

Lowest Paying Jobs in Massachusetts

Occupation Median Salary
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $33,940
Packers and Packagers, Hand $34,200
Amusement and Recreation Attendants $34,440
Shampooers $34,840
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $34,960
Taxi Drivers $35,270
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other $35,300
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $35,380
Manicurists and Pedicurists $35,470
Cashiers $35,520
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants $35,680
Fast Food and Counter Workers $35,850
School Bus Monitors $36,020
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials $36,410
Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other $36,540
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers $36,570
Retail Salespersons $36,610
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $36,650
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant $36,750
Tire Repairers and Changers $36,770
Food Batchmakers $36,880
Medical Transcriptionists $36,910
Dishwashers $37,190
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists $37,290
Parking Attendants $37,360

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in Massachusetts. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.

Metro and Nonmetropolitan Wage Areas in Massachusetts

Amherst Town-Northampton, MA Barnstable Town, MA Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area Pittsfield, MA Springfield, MA Worcester, MA

Salary Guides

Best States for Salaries

Which states pay the most and why

Salary vs. Cost of Living

Compare local wage and price-level benchmarks

Fastest Growing Occupations

Where the job growth is heading

Nationwide states with similar All Occupations pay or employment scale

Two BLS OEWS peer sets outside Massachusetts. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($85,610 here) and reported employment (3,637,650 jobs here).

Similar mean wage

Nearest other states by BLS All Occupations annual mean wage.

Similar employment scale

Nearest headcount peers (floor 250,000 All Occupations jobs), distinct from the mean-wage column.

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS All Occupations mean annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the mean-wage column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Local OEWS areas and related Massachusetts pages

Published local OEWS areas include Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, Barnstable Town, MA, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area, Pittsfield, MA, Springfield, MA, then Worcester, MA.

Amherst Town-Northampton, MA

Local OEWS wage area

Barnstable Town, MA

Local OEWS wage area

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

Local OEWS wage area

Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Pittsfield, MA

Local OEWS wage area

Springfield, MA

Local OEWS wage area

Highest Paying in Massachusetts

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in Massachusetts

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Radiologists

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in Massachusetts? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $204,330/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). It is not the statewide mean or median and does not describe the wage of a typical worker.
What is the average salary in Massachusetts? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $85,610/year for Massachusetts in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 2nd among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, Barnstable Town, MA, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area, Pittsfield, MA, Springfield, MA, then Worcester, MA. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in Massachusetts? ▼
The highest paying occupation in Massachusetts is Radiologists with a median salary of $426,560/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric at $392,300/year.
What jobs pay the least in Massachusetts? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this Massachusetts ranking is Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers at $33,940/year. The table does not classify that occupation as entry-level or explain why its median is lowest.
How many local BLS wage areas are shown for Massachusetts? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 6 metro areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area assigned to Massachusetts. Published local OEWS areas include Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, Barnstable Town, MA, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area, Pittsfield, MA, Springfield, MA, then Worcester, MA. Nonmetropolitan reporting areas are not MSAs. Compare the same occupation and statistic across areas; published coverage can differ by occupation and geography.
How many occupations are shown for Massachusetts? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 717 distinct occupations in Massachusetts. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 273,380 jobs in covered establishments.

Federal sources behind Massachusetts wages

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BLS QCEW state series → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use Massachusetts wage data in a real decision

  • Massachusetts ranks #2 of 54 by All Occupations mean; that state rank is not interchangeable with Radiologists's occupation median of $426,560. Compare states
  • Inside Massachusetts, re-check Radiologists in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, Barnstable Town, MA, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area or Pittsfield, MA before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. Amherst Town-Northampton, MA
  • Open Radiologists for percentile bands and local-area rows; Massachusetts's statewide median of $426,560 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Radiologists
  • The published Massachusetts range runs from Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers at $33,940 to Radiologists at $426,560; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator

BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

State-level employment totals and local-area breakouts from BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025. Local areas can be metropolitan or nonmetropolitan.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.