Entry-level Economist salary in Boston, MA

Based on 76 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Cambridge, Chestnut Hill, Salem, Lynnfield, Malden.

Also listed as: Research Economist, Associate Economist

Median salary$103,164
Middle 50%$92.5k–$131.5k
vs. all levels here−32%comparison median $151,705
Filings76FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $80,337 and $195,975.
PercentileSalary
10th$89,805
25th$92,500
50th (median)$103,164
75th$131,463
90th$180,000

Salary by year

Median salary

$70k $115k $160k FY2020: median $80,000 (45 filings) FY2021: median $80,000 (34 filings) FY2022: median $87,500 (25 filings) FY2023: median $91,250 (24 filings) FY2024: median $103,368 (33 filings) FY2025: median $94,951 (42 filings) FY2026: median $151,920 (34 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 45 filings FY20 FY2021: 34 filings FY21 FY2022: 25 filings FY22 FY2023: 24 filings FY23 FY2024: 33 filings FY24 FY2025: 42 filings FY25 FY2026: 34 filings FY26 45
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$80,000$71,178$80,00045
FY2021$80,000$75,000$84,37534
FY2022$87,500$85,000$90,10825
FY2023$91,250$86,050$103,51924
FY2024$103,368$102,336$113,47833
FY2025$94,951$92,500$103,16442
FY2026$151,920$99,119$180,00034

Cost of living

Boston's median entry-level Economist salary of $103,164 is worth about $95,300 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Economists in the Boston, MA area earned a median of $108,140 in May 2025 (820 employed). The H-1B median here is $103,164, 5% lower.

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
Analysis Group$95,00030
The Brattle Group$103,16414
Harvard Universitytoo few5
Calera Capital Management, L.P.too few3
Cornerstone Researchtoo few3
CRA Internationaltoo few3
Medicus Economicstoo few2
Quantitative Economic Solutionstoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $103,164 76
Mid-level · Level II $133,487 40
Senior · Level III $178,000 32
Expert · Level IV $205,433 22

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$83,782$103,16476
Mid-level · Level II$112,590$133,48740
Senior · Level III$141,419$178,00032
Expert · Level IV$170,227$205,43322

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.