What salary do you need to live in Worcester, MA?
For a single person: about $92,000/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose MA-taxed take-home covers roughly $2,164 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and an effective 4.7% Massachusetts income tax.
Single person — est. essentials $4,778/mo
Tight
take-home covers $4,778/mo
$74,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $5,734/mo
$92,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $7,167/mo
$118,500/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $6,317/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,317/mo
$94,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,580/mo
$114,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $9,476/mo
$147,500/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $7,578/mo
Tight
take-home covers $7,578/mo
$114,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $9,094/mo
$140,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $11,367/mo
$182,000/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $8,674/mo
Tight
take-home covers $8,674/mo
$133,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $10,409/mo
$165,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $13,011/mo
$209,500/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($2,164) + 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.
Find jobs in Worcester
Opens each board's search pre-filled for Worcester, MA.
Planning a move here?
Get notified when Worcester gets more affordable, plus relocation tips.
We'll only email you what you asked for. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy.