Boston is the capital city of Massachusetts and the largest city in New England. As one of the oldest US municipalities and the location of many important events of the American Revolution, Boston attracts millions of tourists each year.
This city, along with Cambridge and Newton, forms an important tech cluster with around 5,000 startups.
IT salaries
The average IT salary in Boston is $80,400 per year ($6,700 per month). It may vary depending on the specialization (USD per year / per month):
- Software developer: 87,100 / 7,260
- Back-end developer: 92,270 / 7,690
- Front-end developer: 81,320 / 6,780
- Full-stack developer: 111,360 / 9,280
- DevOps engineer: 102,750 / 8,560
- Database administrator: 72,080 / 6,010
- Web designer: 57,840 / 4,820
- System administrator: 71,530 / 5,960
- Project manager: 68,070 / 5,670
- QA engineer: 72,050 / 6,000
- Technical writer: 63,370 / 5,280
- Security analyst: 85,060 / 7,090
Read more:
→ IT jobs market in the United States: mid-2020 data
Economy
Boston is one of the top 10 world’s financial centers and one of the top 20 world’s most economically powerful cities. The Route 128 corridor (one of two beltways around Boston) and Greater Boston are a major center for venture capital investment, with high technology being an important sector.
The unemployment rate in Boston is 2.6% — even lower than the national average of 3.5%.
Important economic sectors in Boston include:
- Biotechnology
- Construction
- Educational & health services
- Finance
- Information technology
- Manufacturing
- Professional and business services
- Tourism
With more than 2,300 tech companies present in Boston, this city is also an important IT market. The most popular tech industries include EdTech, hardware, and security.
The largest technology companies present in Boston and its surroundings include:
- Cisco Systems
- Dell Technologies
- Google
- Hewlett Packard
- IBM
- Intel
- Microsoft
- Oracle
- TripAdvisor
- Twitter
Cost of living
Boston has one of the highest costs of living in the United States (No. 10 in the national ranking). However, groceries run just 9% above the national average, and the median home value is lower relative to some other major cities such as New York and San Francisco.
Monthly costs without rent in Boston are $1,100 for a single person and $3,980 for a four-person family.
Consumer prices comparison (including rent) in other US cities vs. Boston:
- Austin: 23% lower
- Chicago: 13% lower
- Los Angeles: 6% lower
- New York: 28% higher
- San Francisco: 29% higher
- San Jose: 5% higher
- Seattle: 4% lower
The average prices in Boston (USD):
- Meal at McDonald’s: 6–12
- Meal at another inexpensive restaurant: 10–30
- Average food basket (milk, bread, eggs, cheese, chicken, apples, potatoes, water, beer): 45
- Monthly fee at a fitness club: 20–125
- Monthly pass: 85–90
- Monthly rent (1 bedroom): 1,600 – 3,500
- Monthly rent (3 bedrooms): 2,500 – 6,500
- Property prices per square meter: 3,770 – 12,920
- Utilities: 100–300 per month
Travel
Boston’s principal airport is Logan Airport located northeast of downtown Boston. It serves flights to major US cities as well as to Amsterdam, Lisbon, London, Ottawa, Rome, Toronto, and other destinations. There are also 7 smaller airports in the towns surrounding Boston.
Moreover, the capital city of Massachusetts is located at a relatively close distance to New York (220 miles or 4 hours drive) and Philadelphia (300 miles or 5 hours drive).
Boston has the fifth-highest rate of public transit usage in the country, hosts more pedestrian commuters than other major cities, is ranked the third most walkable American city by Walkscore.com, and has one of the highest rates of bicycle commuting.
Entertainment
Boston has the reputation of being “the intellectual capital of the United States” as it’s famous for its literary culture, with a long list of writers who lived and worked there (including R. W. Emerson, N. Hawthorne, H. W. Longfellow, and H. D. Thoreau).
The city is also home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Ballet, Boston Opera House, several art museums and galleries. Cultural events held in Boston include the Boston Film Festival, Boston Globe Jazz and Blues Festival, First Night festival, Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, and some others.