Federal Government Employee Salary in Boston, MA: Median $96,380 in 2026
Boston (MA) · COL index 162 · Unemployment 3.3% · Metro pop 4,920,000 · Rank #11 of 283 for Federal Government Employee salary
A Federal Government Employee in Boston earns an estimated median of $96,380 per year. That figure starts from the Massachusetts state-level BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median[1]($64,060) and scales it by Boston's composite cost-of-living index of 162 (US = 100). The 10th percentile comes in around $55,382; the 90th percentile reaches $153,943. After federal, Massachusetts state, and FICA taxes, a single-filer Federal Government Employee takes home approximately $71,755/year — about $5,980/month or $2,760 every other week.
Compared to the national Federal Government Employee median of $97,000, Boston pays -0.6%. Relative to the Boston median household income of $89,400, a Federal Government Employeesalary runs +7.8%. Local unemployment is 3.3%[3], with an estimated 8,448 annual Federal Government Employee openings inferred from metro population share and national employment (2,950,000).
Federal Government Employee Snapshot — Boston (2026)
Every row cites a primary public dataset. Rent + home values use Zillow where the metro is in the ZHVI/ZORI coverage set; otherwise ACS + census tract fallbacks.
| Metric | Boston | National | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Government Employee median salary | $96,380 | $97,000 | [1] |
| 10th percentile | $55,382 | $64,000 | [1] |
| 90th percentile | $153,943 | $175,000 | [1] |
| Annual take-home (single filer) | $71,755 | — | [8][10] |
| Median home value (ZHVI) | $731,139 | — | [5] |
| Median rent (ZORI) | $3,148/mo | — | [5] |
| HUD Fair Market Rent (2BR) | $2,900/mo | — | [6] |
| Median household income (ACS) | $112,484 | — | [7] |
| Cost-of-living index | 162.0 | 100.0 | [4] |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | — | [3] |
How Federal Government Employee Salaries Work in Boston
City-level wages aren't published directly by BLS for most SOC codes. We build them by anchoring to the Massachusetts state-level OEWS median ($64,060) and scaling by Boston's composite cost-of-living index (162)[1][4]. That index combines Census ACS rent, Zillow ZHVI, BLS CPI, and AdvisorSmith / ApartmentAdvisor inputs to produce one number per metro. When BLS publishes a separate metro-level wage (MSA-level OEWS), that takes priority — a handful of large metros including New York, LA, Chicago, and DC have this coverage.
On top of the gross wage, the standard US payroll stack applies: federal income tax using 2025 IRS brackets and the $15,000 single standard deduction[8], FICA (Social Security 6.2% up to $176,100 wage base + Medicare 1.45%)[9], and Massachusetts state income tax at a 4.8% effective rate ($4,599/yr on the $96,380 median)[10].
Boston also sits inside a larger metro labor market where commute patterns, remote-work policies, and adjacent-metro wages compete. A tight labor market (unemployment below 4%) gives candidates pricing power in negotiations. Median household income in the metro is $112,484, which frames what "a good Federal Government Employee salary" means locally: a $$96,380 wage pays about 86% of the median household income on a single earner.
The deterministic identity: take_home = gross − federal − state − FICA − pre_tax. All math runs client-side; nothing is sent to our servers.
Federal Government Employee Salary & Cost-of-Living Context — Boston
Buy vs rent in Boston
Monthly PITI on the $731,139 median home in Boston is ~$5,086/mo — vs a $3,148/mo median rent. Rent burden on median household income is 33.6%, which exceeds the recommended 30% guideline for housing costs.
Cost of Living Breakdown — Boston
Estimated annual expense shares on a $71,755 take-home, using BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey baseline shares scaled to Boston's COL index of 162. Housing uses the actual median rent.
BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares[1], scaled by Boston's COL index of 162[4]. Housing uses actual median rent of $2,750/month.
Salary vs Housing Affordability in Boston
Renting
Buying
At $5,980/mo take-home, the 30% rent rule caps housing at $1,794/mo. Boston's typical 1–2BR rent runs $3,148/mo[5] (HUD 2BR FMR: $2,900/mo), making rent tight but manageable on a median Federal Government Employee salary. For homebuyers, the 7.1× price-to-income ratio is stretched — expect DTI friction on FHA / conventional underwriting without a co-borrower.
How Boston Stacks Up for Federal Government Employees
Against 283 major US cities: Boston ranks #11 for nominal Federal Government Employee salary, #268 for rent affordability, and #273 for overall purchasing power. High cost of living absorbs much of Boston's nominal wage premium. Federal Government Employees here often trade pay for lifestyle, proximity to employers, or family roots — consider nearby metros on a salary-to-COL basis.
Nearby Cities — Federal Government Employee Salary Comparison
Boston's closest metros, scaled by each city's cost-of-living index. Useful for relocation decisions where commute or remote-work policies allow a neighboring metro trade-off.
| City | Est. salary | COL | Rent | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, MA ★ | $96,380 | 162 | $2,750 | — |
| Worcester, MA | $112,520 | 116 | $1,650 | +16.7% |
| Springfield, MA | $95,060 | 98 | $1,150 | -1.4% |
| Lowell, MA | $114,460 | 118 | $1,650 | +18.8% |
| Cambridge, MA | $172,660 | 178 | $3,100 | +79.1% |
| San Diego, CA | $158,110 | 163 | $2,195 | +64.0% |
Federal Government Employee Job Market in Boston
Boston has an estimated 8,448 annual Federal Government Employeeopenings, extrapolated from the metro's share of 2,950,000 national Federal Government Employees[1]. The 3.3% unemployment rate[3] signals a competitive labor market where skilled professionals can push for top-of-band offers.
Top employers in Boston
About the profession: Federal employees work across hundreds of agencies and departments. They receive the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) pension, TSP (similar to 401k), and comprehensive benefits. Typical entry requirement: bachelor's degree (gs-7+). Projected growth through 2034: 2%[2].
Career Progression & Related Professions in Boston
Early-career Federal Government Employees in Boston start around $55,382, reach the city median ($96,380) after 4–8 years, and hit 90th-percentile territory ($153,943) at senior / specialized levels.
Related government & military professions in Boston
Calculators for Federal Government Employees in Boston
Other professions in Boston
Frequently Asked Questions — Federal Government Employee in Boston
How much does a Federal Government Employee make in Boston, MA?
The estimated median salary for a Federal Government Employee in Boston is $96,380/year, scaled from the BLS OEWS Massachusetts state median ($64,060) by Boston's composite cost-of-living index of 162 (US = 100). After federal, Massachusetts state, and FICA taxes, take-home is approximately $71,755/year or $5,980/month.
Can a Federal Government Employee afford to live in Boston?
On $5,980/month take-home, the 30% rent rule affords $1,794/month. Boston's Zillow ZORI median rent is $3,148/mo, HUD's 2BR Fair Market Rent is $2,900/mo. The rent-to-income ratio works out to 34.2%, making housing tight but manageable for a Federal Government Employee at the local median. Home-buyers face 7.1× price-to-income, needing roughly 7.1 years to save a 20% down payment at a 20% savings rate.
How much tax does a Federal Government Employee pay in Boston?
On $96,380 gross, a Federal Government Employee in Boston pays approximately $12,652 in federal income tax (13.1% effective), $4,599 in Massachusetts state income tax (4.8% effective), and $7,374 in FICA (Social Security + Medicare). Total effective rate: 25.5%. Some Massachusetts cities levy local income taxes in addition; check your municipal DoR before filing.
How does Boston rank for Federal Government Employee salaries vs other cities?
Boston ranks #11 out of 283 tracked metros for nominal Federal Government Employee salary, #268 for rent affordability (rent-to-income), and #273 for purchasing power (salary ÷ COL). The high-purchasing-power cities tend to be mid-size metros with strong local employers and moderate housing costs; the low-ranked cities trade high nominal pay for steep rents.
What is the cost-of-living breakdown for a Federal Government Employee in Boston?
On $71,755 take-home, a reasonable baseline budget for Boston looks like: housing $33,000/yr (46.0%); food $11,814/yr; transportation $8,955/yr; healthcare $5,957/yr; utilities $4,700/yr; savings + discretionary $7,329/yr. Numbers use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled to Boston's COL index of 162 and the city's actual median rent.
What's the Federal Government Employee job market like in Boston?
Boston's unemployment rate is 3.3% across the metro of 4,920,000. Estimated annual Federal Government Employee openings: ~8,448 (extrapolated from 2,950,000 nationally employed and the metro's population share). The tight labor market favors candidates in salary negotiations.
Do Boston employers pay above or below the Massachusetts median for Federal Government Employees?
Not consistently — Boston's estimated Federal Government Employee median of $96,380 is 0.6% below the national median. The trade-off is usually lower rents and (in some cases) lower state taxes, which can leave real purchasing power competitive.
Methodology — How we compute this page
Wage estimate. The Boston median is derived from the Massachusetts state-level BLS OEWS median ($64,060), scaled by Boston's composite cost-of-living index of 162. When BLS publishes a direct MSA-level wage for the occupation, that takes priority over the scaled state median. Percentile bands inherit the same scale factor.
Housing + rent. Median home value uses Zillow ZHVI; median rent prefers Zillow ZORI and falls back to Census ACS median gross rent. HUD Fair Market Rents (50th-percentile 2BR) are shown where HUD publishes the metro. Price-to-income and rent-to-income ratios use the estimated Federal Government Employeemedian (not the city's overall median household income) — to reflect the specific role-vs-city affordability picture.
Tax math. Federal tax uses 2025 IRS brackets and the $15,000 single standard deduction. FICA is Social Security 6.2% up to the $176,100 wage base + Medicare 1.45% (+ 0.9% Additional Medicare above $200,000). State tax uses Massachusetts's 2026 brackets from the state DoR (mirrored via Tax Foundation where the DoR's publication is paywalled or split). Local income taxes (e.g. NYC, Portland-OR supplemental, OH municipal) are NOT included — check your municipal authority for specifics.
Cost of living. The 162index is the composite used by CalcFi's /data/cities.ts, which merges Census ACS, BLS CPI shelter, Zillow ZORI, and commercial COL estimators. The COL-adjusted salary on this page assumes the statewide RPP = 107.7(BEA) approximates the state's purchasing power; cities are then scaled relative to that.
Refresh cadence. BLS OEWS releases annually (typically March); BEA RPP releases annually in December; IRS brackets adjust in October; Zillow ZHVI/ZORI updates monthly; HUD FMR publishes annually in August for the upcoming fiscal year. The dateModified shown above auto-bumps to the most recent retrievedAt on any sourced value the page consumes.
Known limits. Metro-level OEWS coverage is partial — only ~50 large MSAs have separately published occupation wages; the rest inherit state-level estimates scaled by COL. Rent and home data may trail the real-time market by 1–3 months (Zillow) or 8–12 months (ACS). Rankings are capped to the city set in our dataset (283 metros), not every incorporated US city.
Sources
Every number on this page cites a primary public dataset. Last reviewed (auto-bumped on the next ISR refresh after an ETL run).
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — state-level occupational wages — www.bls.gov/oes. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- BLS Employment Projections — 2024–34 occupational growth rates — www.bls.gov/emp. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics — metro-level unemployment rate — www.bls.gov/lau. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (state + metro) — www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- Zillow Research — ZHVI (home value index) + ZORI (observed rent index) — www.zillow.com/research/data. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- HUD Fair Market Rents — 50th-percentile 2-bedroom FY — www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, metro level — www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- Internal Revenue Service — Federal individual income tax brackets and standard deductions — www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-17. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- Social Security Administration — OASDI / Medicare contribution and wage-base rules — www.ssa.gov. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- Massachusetts Department of Revenue — 2026 individual income tax brackets (accessed via Tax Foundation mirror) — taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
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