Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
7 metro areas in Massachusetts publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 99,560 jobs. The three largest employers of registered nurses are Boston-Cambridge-Newton (64,240 jobs), Providence-Warwick (15,180 jobs), Worcester (10,070 jobs), which hold 89.9% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $98,410 to $106,180 a year, against $104,550 for the whole state and $97,550 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $97,550 a year for registered nurses (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $68,940 and the highest-paid tenth over $137,470). Employment is projected to change by +5.6% between 2025 and 2035, with about 180,800 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: Bachelor's degree. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Registered nurses in Massachusetts: the highest median pay is in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area ($106,180 a year); the most jobs are in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area (64,240). Statewide the median is $104,550 with 88,200 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 64,240 | $106,180 | $81,880 | $188,670 | 1.09 | 23% | 108.3 |
| Pittsfield, MA | 1,230 | $104,950 | $74,000 | $135,520 | 1.00 | 13% | 95.1 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 1,860 | $103,380 | $80,140 | $155,570 | 0.91 | 19% | 98.4 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | 1,150 | $101,270 | $74,140 | $128,860 | 0.80 | 16% | 100.2 |
| Worcester, MA | 10,070 | $100,240 | $79,940 | $168,870 | 1.32 | 17% | 102.5 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 15,180 | $99,880 | $77,410 | $135,240 | 0.98 | 16% | 101.8 |
| Springfield, MA | 5,830 | $98,410 | $73,420 | $127,470 | 1.33 | 14% | 96.1 |
National page: Registered nurses →Cities of Massachusetts
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area, with a median of $106,180 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area, with 64,240 jobs.