What salary do you need to live in Boston, MA?
For a single person: about $94,000/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose MA-taxed take-home covers roughly $2,470 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and an effective 5.0% Massachusetts income tax.
Single person — est. essentials $4,854/mo
Tight
take-home covers $4,854/mo
$76,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $5,825/mo
$94,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $7,281/mo
$121,000/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $6,460/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,460/mo
$97,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,752/mo
$118,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $9,690/mo
$152,500/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $7,797/mo
Tight
take-home covers $7,797/mo
$119,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $9,356/mo
$146,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $11,696/mo
$189,000/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $8,955/mo
Tight
take-home covers $8,955/mo
$139,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $10,746/mo
$171,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $13,433/mo
$221,000/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($2,470) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + Massachusetts's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier. Local income taxes and property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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