How Much Does an RN Make in Boston, MA in 2026?
Typical pay for RNs in Boston, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Massachusetts.
BLS OES May 2025 · Boston · Cambridge · Newton metro area
A typical RN in Boston, Massachusetts earns $51.05 per hour, or $106,180 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $8,848 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $81,880, and the top 10% of earners make over $188,670.
That pay is 2% above the Massachusetts figure of $104,550 and 9% above the national figure of $97,550. Boston ranks 1st of 7 metro areas in Massachusetts for RN pay. About 64,240 RNs work in the Boston · Cambridge · Newton area.
RN pay in Boston at a glance
- Typical pay is $51.05 an hour, or $106,180 a year.
- That is 2% above the Massachusetts figure, ranking 1st of 7 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $81,880; the top 10% make over $188,670.
- Typical pay rose +23% from 2015 to 2025, against +25% for Massachusetts as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an RN make in Boston?
Pay in Boston runs from entry-level positions at around $39.37 an hour to more than $90.71 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Massachusetts and national figures.
RN pay by career stage in Boston
| Career stage | Boston | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $81,880$39.37 an hour | $80,310$38.61 an hour | $68,940$33.14 an hour |
| First years | $94,870$45.61 an hour | $87,460$42.05 an hour | $80,330$38.62 an hour |
| Typical RN | $106,180$51.05 an hour | $104,550$50.27 an hour | $97,550$46.90 an hour |
| Experienced | $153,380$73.74 an hour | $136,110$65.44 an hour | $112,350$54.02 an hour |
| Top 10% | $188,670$90.71 an hour | $174,510$83.90 an hour | $137,470$66.09 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Boston · Cambridge · Newton area as BLS defines it
RN pay growth in Boston
Typical (median) annual wage for RNs in the Boston · Cambridge · Newton area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical RN pay in Boston was $86,390 a year. By 2025 it had reached $106,180, a change of +23%, compared with +25% for Massachusetts over the same years.
How Boston compares with other Massachusetts cities
Boston pays RNs the most of any metro area in Massachusetts. The lowest-paying area in the state is Springfield at $98,410.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Boston | RNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston | $106,180 | $51.05 | this city | 64,240 |
| 2 | Pittsfield | $104,950 | $50.46 | -1% | 1,230 |
| 3 | Barnstable Town | $103,380 | $49.70 | -3% | 1,860 |
| 4 | Amherst Town metro incl. Northampton | $101,270 | $48.69 | -5% | 1,150 |
| 5 | Worcester | $100,240 | $48.19 | -6% | 10,070 |
| 6 | Warwick | $99,880 | $48.02 | -6% | 15,180 |
| 7 | Springfield | $98,410 | $47.31 | -7% | 5,830 |
Every metro area in Massachusetts with RN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Massachusetts typical pay $104,550
Is Boston a good place to work as an RN?
RNs in Boston earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $106,180 a year, 9% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Boston · Cambridge · Newton area, about 24 are RN positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 22. RN jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an RN make in Boston, MA?
- A typical RN in Boston earns $106,180 a year, or $51.05 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $81,880 and the top 10% earn over $188,670.
- How much does an RN make an hour in Boston?
- Typical hourly pay for RNs in Boston is $51.05. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $39.37, and the top 10% earn over $90.71 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an RN in Boston?
- Entry-level RN positions in Boston typically offer around $39.37 an hour, or $81,880 a year.
- Is RN pay in Boston higher than in the rest of Massachusetts?
- Boston pay is 2% above the Massachusetts figure of $104,550 a year, ranking 1st of 7 metro areas in the state.