Top 20 Highest Paying Jobs in Boston
The GDP per capita in Boston has been steadily increasing over the last several years. This year, it’s estimated to reach $83,069.
Boston currently ranks in the top 1 percent of the world’s most expensive cities. It’s the 26th most expensive city in the United States (out of 2,202 cities) and the 31st most expensive city in the world. Fortunately, the job market is looking promising in Boston right now, and there are lots of openings for high-paying jobs.
Are you interested in working in Boston? Whether you’re a student planning to graduate soon or a professional looking to make a career change, you’ll need a high-paying job if you want to live comfortably in this city.
This guide lists the top 20 highest-paying jobs in Boston. You’ll also learn about the highest-paying industries in Boston, the highest-paying jobs for fresh graduates, and the kinds of degrees you’ll need to learn to land these jobs.
What Salary Is Considered Rich in Boston?
Boston is an expensive place to live, but the average salary here is also quite a bit higher than the average salary in the United States. The average salary in Boston is $91,000 per year, whereas the average salary in the U.S. is $47,520 per year (almost half of the average in Boston).
With this information in mind, to be considered “rich” in Boston, you would likely need to earn well over $100,000 per year. You could live comfortably if you earn at or around the $91,000 per year mark, but to get closer to being described as wealthy or rich, you’d need to earn a lot more.
This is especially true when you consider the high cost of living in Boston. The median home price here is $717,943, which is approximately 300 percent higher than the national average in the U.S. Furthermore, thanks to Boston’s hot summers and ice-cold winters, the average utility bill is 17 percent higher than the national average, too.
What Is the #1 Highest-Paid Position in Boston?
Now that you have a better idea of how expensive it is to live in Boston, let’s get into the highest-paying jobs in the city. If you want to have a good chance at surviving the high cost of living here, you’ll fare best if you pursue the number one highest-paid position in Boston, which is a job as a surgeon.
The average salary for a surgeon is $270,700 per year, which is more than double the average salary for a Boston resident.
Of course, surgeons have a lot of responsibility. They perform operations on patients and provide treatment to help them recover, so it makes sense that they are paid well for the hard work they do (not to mention all the hard work that’s required for them to be qualified to operate on their patients).
If a career as a surgeon doesn’t seem like the right option for you, there are plenty of other high-paying jobs worth considering. Listed below are the top 20 highest-paying jobs in Boston, from lowest to highest salary:
20. Vice President of Human Resources: Average Salary $153,400 per year
19. Business Development Director: Average Salary $153,600 per year
18. Marketing Manager: Average Salary $154,960 per year
17. Vice President of Operations: Average Salary $163,500 per year
16. Director of Engineering: Average Salary $164,200 per year
15. Chief Financial Officer: Average Salary $166,100 per year
14. Software Development Director: Average Salary $167,800 per year
13. Vice President of Information Technology: Average Salary $173,000 per year
12. Vice President of Sales: Average Salary $175,900 per year
11. Vice President of Business Development: Average Salary $179,500 per year
10. Vice President of Finance: Average Salary $179,600 per year
9. Vice President of Marketing: Average Salary $182,700 per year
8. Pediatrician: Average Salary $190,650 per year
7. Chief Technology Officer: Average Salary $195,600 per year
6. Dentist: Average Salary $209,570 per year
5. Psychiatrist: Average Salary $210,180 per year
4. Chief Executive Officer: Average Salary $235,550 per year
3. Family Medicine Physician: Average Salary $244,260 per year
2. Obstetrician and Gynecologists: Average Salary $252,060 per year
1. Surgeon: Average Salary $270,700 per year
Top 5 Highest-Paying Industries in Boston
If you want to land a high-paying job in this city, it also helps to know what about the highest-paying industries in Boston. Listed below are 5 high-paying industries, as well as the top careers in each field and the job prospects for those who want to pursue those careers (or similar ones):
Understandably, the healthcare industry is one of the highest-paying and fastest-growing industries in Boston. There are tons of opportunities for healthcare professionals to find work here, whether they’re surgeons, physicians, nurses, or anything in between.
Top 3 Jobs
- Surgeon: Average Salary $270,700 per year
- Obstetrician and Gynecologists: Average Salary $252,060 per year
- Family Medicine Physician: Average Salary $244,260 per year
Job Prospects: The job prospects for those who want to work in the healthcare industry look very promising. There’s a high demand for healthcare workers in Boston right now (and throughout the United States), which means there are lots of high-paying jobs available. If you’re interested in being part of the healthcare field here, you’ll find plenty of job opportunities and shouldn’t have much trouble getting hired.
As you likely noticed when reading through the list of the top 20 highest-paying jobs in Boston, there are lots of high-paying jobs in the business administration field. The business sector is growing rapidly in Boston, and there are lots of companies that operate out of this city, from small startups to major corporations like General Electric.
Top 3 Jobs
- Chief Executive Officer: Average Salary $235,550 per year
- Vice President of Finance: Average Salary $179,600 per year
- Vice President of Business Development: Average Salary $179,500 per year
Job Prospects: There are lots of job opportunities for those who want to work in the business world in Boston. If you want to have a business-related career, you’ll find plenty of options to choose from here. Many companies are hiring for both junior positions and senior-level positions, so even those who don’t have a lot of experience can also find work in Boston.
Similar to the business sector, there are also many jobs available in Boston in the information technology industry. From programming and development jobs to chief technology officer positions, there’s a wide range of positions open at small, medium, and large businesses all over Boston.
Top 3 Jobs
- Chief Technology Officer: Average Salary $195,600 per year
- Vice President of Information Technology: Average Salary $173,000 per year
- Software Development Director: Average Salary $167,800 per year
Job Prospects: The job prospects look very promising for those who want to work in the information technology industry in Boston. Whether you have a degree in an IT-related field or if you’ve received a training certificate from a short-term program, you likely will not have much trouble finding a well-paid tech job here.
Sales and marketing is another high-paying industry in Boston with lots of lucrative positions available. From executive positions to assistant positions, there are plenty of careers in the sales and marketing world here for those who are highly motivated and want to work in a creative, people-focused field.
Top 3 Jobs
- Vice President of Marketing: Average Salary $182,700 per year
- Vice President of Sales: Average Salary $175,900 per year
- Marketing Manager: Average Salary $154,960 per year
Job Prospects: There are lots of job opportunities in Boston right now for those who want to work in the sales or marketing industry. With so many businesses of all sizes operating out of Boston, there are plenty of jobs available for marketing and sales experts, so it likely will not be difficult for you to find a high-paying position here. This is especially true if you have prior experience in the field.
The engineering industry is another high-paying industry in Boston that seems to always have lots of jobs available. Regular engineering jobs are known for providing high salaries, and managerial/directorial positions come with even higher salaries (some of the highest in Boston, in fact).
Top 3 Jobs
- Director of Engineering: Average Salary $164,200 per year
- Electrical Engineer: Average Salary $115,584 per year
- Mechanical Engineer: Average Salary $93,506 per year
Job Prospects: There will likely always be a demand for engineers in the Boston area (and in other parts of the United States), so the job prospects for people who work in this industry look quite promising. Most people who have engineering experience and training will have an easy time finding jobs in Boston. As a bonus, they’ll likely earn higher salaries than they would in other areas in the country, too.
Top 5 Highest-Paying Jobs in Boston for Fresh Graduates
Compared to seasoned professionals who have been in their careers for a while, the list of the highest-paying jobs in Boston for fresh graduates is a bit different.
After all, for many of the positions listed earlier in this guide, it takes several years to gain experience and start earning a high salary. It takes time to become a manager or a CEO, for example.
If you’re looking to make as much money as possible right out of school and don’t want to wait years and years to earn a high salary, the following jobs are some of the best ones for college students to consider pursuing:
As the number 1 highest-paying job in Boston, surgeons also enjoy some of the highest entry-level salaries.
Admittedly, it will take you quite a long to finish your schooling and start practicing as a surgeon, but once you graduate and get started, you’ll soon be earning far more than the average Bostonian.
It takes about 12-13 years after graduating from high school to become a surgeon, so this career path is not for the faint of heart. However, the time and effort will be worth it if you’re passionate about medicine and want to enjoy a high-paying, high-demand position.
Speech-language pathologists provide speech therapy to those who struggle with speech impediments or need to re-learn how to speak after experiencing a stroke or another traumatic event.
As a speech-language pathologist, you can earn a salary of close to $97,000 per year in an entry-level position, so this is a great job for fresh graduates. As you gain experience, you can earn a lot more than this, too.
It takes between 6 and 9 years to become a speech-language pathologist, depending on whether you pursue a master’s or doctoral degree. The time is worth it, though, as you can start earning a high salary right when you graduate.
Account managers act as liaisons between businesses and their customers. They are responsible for addressing customers’ needs to develop and maintain strong relationships between them and the companies for which they work.
The account manager position is one of the best-paid jobs in Boston, so it’s a great option for students to consider pursuing. This is especially true of those who want to work in the business administration industry. Many account managers only have a bachelor’s degree in business management or a related field, too, so you don’t have to worry about years and years of schooling before you can get hired.
Some entry-level account manager positions start at around $60,000 per year, but you can soon earn much more than this as you gain experience.
Software engineering positions are known for providing very high salaries, even for entry-level positions. As a new software engineer, fresh out of college, you can easily find positions that pay over $100,000 per year.
Software engineers are responsible for researching, designing, and writing the code for new software programs. They work for a variety of businesses (of all sizes) and are highly valued in today’s job market.
A career as a software engineer doesn’t require tons of schooling, either. Many have bachelor’s degrees in computer programming or related field, although some do go on to earn a master’s degree for additional job opportunities and higher earning potential.
Another one of the highest-paying jobs in Boston for fresh graduates is a job as an electrical engineer.
Electrical engineers are responsible for designing, developing, testing, and supervising the manufacture of various pieces of electrical equipment. This includes motors, radar systems, navigation systems, power generation equipment, and more.
As an electrical engineer in Boston, you can expect to earn over $115,000 per year, with more earning potential in your future as you gain experience in your field.
As is the case with software engineers, you don’t need to spend nearly a decade in school to make it as an electrical engineer. Most of these engineers have just a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field, although some do go on to seek master’s degrees.
What Degree Pays Most in Boston?
If you want to land one of the best-paid jobs in Boston, you’ll need to earn a degree from an accredited university first. This table lists some of the best degrees to consider pursuing if you want to find a high-paying job in Boston (or any city, for that matter):
Degree Type | Potential Salary |
Medicine | $270,700 per year |
Engineering | $115,584 per year |
Computer Science | $100,000 per year |
Linguistics | $97,000 per year |
Business Management | $60,000 per year |
Of course, these numbers are just estimates based on the current average earnings for various positions.
There’s no guarantee that you’ll earn a specific salary once you get a degree in a particular field. However, your chances of earning a high salary and being able to live comfortably in an expensive city like Boston go up when you pursue one of these degrees (or a related one).
Apply for One of the Highest-Paying Jobs in Boston Today
Now that you’re better informed about what the highest-paying jobs in Boston are and what it takes to qualify for them, are you ready to begin your search?
It doesn’t matter if you’re a professional looking to change careers or a student planning for the future and trying to choose a lucrative career path. The information in this guide will help you make the best choice and find the best-paid jobs in Boston.
If you need more help finding work in Boston, check out GrabJobs today. Our Career Resources page features lots of guides that will help you improve your skills, increase your marketability, and boost your chances of getting hired. Our free job search tool also makes it easier than ever for you to find high-paying jobs in the Boston area.
