Entry-level Economics Professor salary in Boston, MA

Based on 16 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Cambridge, Waltham, Chestnut Hill, Lowell, Medford.

Also listed as: Assistant Professor of Economics, Assistant Professor Economics

Median salary$204,373
Middle 50%$122.4k–$225k
vs. all levels here+35%comparison median $151,597
Filings16FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $96,414 and $262,890.
PercentileSalary
10th$104,555
25th$122,410
50th (median)$204,373
75th$225,000
90th$234,850

Salary by year

Median salary

$110k $145k $180k FY2020: median $160,000 (11 filings) FY2022: median $162,027 (10 filings) FY2023: median $129,525 (14 filings) FY2024: median $137,400 (11 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 11 filings FY20 FY2021: 7 filings FY21 FY2022: 10 filings FY22 FY2023: 14 filings FY23 FY2024: 11 filings FY24 FY2025: 9 filings FY25 FY2026: 7 filings FY26 14
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$160,000$92,500$175,00011
FY2021–––7
FY2022$162,027$132,000$196,56910
FY2023$129,525$100,412$182,82614
FY2024$137,400$100,988$195,00011
FY2025–––9
FY2026–––7

Cost of living

Boston's median entry-level Economics Professor salary of $204,373 is worth about $188,800 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boston = 108.3).

Compared with all workers here

All Economics Teachers, Postsecondary in the Boston, MA area earned a median of $174,910 in May 2025 (530 employed). The H-1B median here is $204,373, 17% higher.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Harvard Universitytoo few4
Trustees Of Boston Universitytoo few3
Boston Collegetoo few2
Massachusetts Institute of Technologytoo few2
Northeastern Universitytoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $204,373 16
Mid-level · Level II – 0
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV too few 2

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$85,060$204,37316

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.