Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Massachusetts | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $104,550 | $98,331 | +6% |
| Median hourly wage | $50.26 | $47.27 | +6% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $98,819.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | $111,891 | $84,500 | $136,500 | 162 |
The median annual salary for a Registered Nurse in Massachusetts is $104,550, or about $50.26 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Registered Nurses is $98,331. Massachusetts is +6% above the national median.
Entry-level registered nurses in Massachusetts typically earn from $84,500 depending on the city and employer.
With 88,200 registered nurse jobs on record and a median salary of $104,550, Massachusetts offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, registered nurses rank 147 of the 717 occupations reported in Massachusetts — higher than 79% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Radiologists at $426,560, Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric at $392,300, Surgeons, All Other at $387,150 — all figures are median annual wages for Massachusetts.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Massachusetts levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 130.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, registered nurses rank 147 of the 717 occupations reported in Massachusetts — higher than 79% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Massachusetts | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Radiologists | $426,560 | — |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $392,300 | — |
| Surgeons, All Other | $387,150 | $770 |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $356,230 | $890 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $325,200 | $450 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $295,550 | $500 |
Massachusetts levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 130.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 717 occupations in Massachusetts.