Massachusetts · Salary guide
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA CPA Salary
CPA and accountant pay across the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro — percentiles and role-by-role estimates vs the national benchmark.
Median CPA pay · Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro
$100,150
Midpoint for accountants & auditors
Typical range
$80K–$129.5K
Middle 50% (25th–75th percentile)
Top earners
$161.5K+
90th percentile and above
vs. national
+19.7%
Massachusetts · vs U.S. median
Verified BLS wage benchmark for the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro · updated June 2026
How much does a CPA make in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
The verified BLS wage measurement for accountants and auditors in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro. The CPA-license premium layered on top is a labeled estimate.
vs. the U.S. benchmark
+19.7%
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro vs the national median and +0.7% vs Massachusetts statewide.
Massachusetts guideLicensed CPA · modeled
$112,200
A modeled ~12% credential premium on the local median — the license consistently pays more.
What the license is worthTop earners · 90th pct
$161.5K+
The BLS-measured 90th percentile for accountants in this metro — model your own with your role and experience.
Model your payBoston-Cambridge-Newton metro
verified local median
$100,150
+19.7%Massachusetts statewide
verified state median
$99,460
+18.9%National benchmark
verified
$83,680
base
Boston-Cambridge-Newton runs +19.7% vs the national median and +0.7% vs Massachusetts statewide. All three are direct BLS wage measurements for accountants and auditors at their own area level.
Cost of living
Real pay in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
What the Boston-Cambridge-Newton median actually buys once local prices are accounted for. Nominal pay is the verified BLS figure; the buying-power view divides it by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity (2024) for the metro.
Nominal
$100.2K
Price level
108.3/100
Real pay
$92.5K
Local prices run 8% above the national average, so some of that pay is absorbed by higher local costs — Boston-Cambridge-Newton slips 14 places once adjusted for buying power.
Real pay · BEA-adjustedA high nominal salary in an expensive metro can buy less than a smaller salary in a low-cost one. Real pay reorders the map by buying power — but it is not take-home pay: it excludes taxes, benefits, and housing choices.
See real pay across all metros →Best ways to use this page
- 1View percentiles
Find your percentile
See where your pay sits across the Boston-Cambridge-Newton range, from entry level to top earners.
- 2See pay by role
Check your role
Pay climbs steeply from staff to controller. See the estimate for your title in this metro.
- 3Open the calculator
Model your own number
Set role, experience, license, and employer for a tailored estimate — equity and bonus broken out.
- 4Submit your pay
Add your salary
Anonymous, two minutes. Submissions are how role- and employer-level pay becomes real data.
Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro · Accountants & auditors
Verified$48.15/hr median hourly · $108,660 average
Percentiles · Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Verified| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $72,450 | $34.83/hr | Entry-level / lower pay |
| 25th percentile | $79,990 | $38.46/hr | Below median |
| Median (50th) | $100,150 | $48.15/hr | Typical pay |
| 75th percentile | $129,490 | $62.25/hr | Experienced / senior |
| 90th percentile | $161,450 | $77.62/hr | Top earners |
By role
CPA roles in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Median estimates by role, scaled to the metro wage level.
Median pay by role
In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro, estimated pay runs from $142,200 (Accounting Manager) to $390,600 (Chief Financial Officer) — about 2.7× across the ladder.
| Role / level | Low | Est. median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Financial Officer | $390,600 | ||
| Partner | $360,500 | ||
| Director of Finance | $245,400 | ||
| Senior Manager | $205,300 | ||
| Controller | $195,300 | ||
| Tax Manager | $155,200 | ||
| Audit Manager | $155,200 | ||
| Accounting Manager | $142,200 | ||
| Audit Senior | $110,200 | ||
| Tax Senior | $108,200 | ||
| Senior Accountant | $102,200 | ||
| Audit Associate | $83,100 | ||
| Tax Associate | $82,100 | ||
| Staff Accountant | $78,100 |
Role multipliers applied to the BLS national median for Accountants & Auditors. The low–high band is a modeled typical range, not a guaranteed offer.
By experience
CPA pay by experience in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
The metro median scaled across experience bands, with the modeled CPA-license premium. Estimate.
| Experience | Est. median | CPA-licensed (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 years | $86,100 | $96,400 |
| 2–4 years | $96,100 | $107,600 |
| 5–7 years | $108,200 | $121,200 |
| 8–12 years | $120,200 | $134,600 |
| 13–20 years | $132,200 | $148,100 |
| 20+ years | $142,200 | $159,300 |
Experience multipliers on the area median; CPA column adds a modeled +12% credential premium.
By employer
CPA pay by employer type in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Big 4, national, regional, and local firms vs. industry — at a manager-level base on the metro median. Estimate.
| Employer type | Est. manager-level pay | vs. industry |
|---|---|---|
| Big 4 firm | $173,900 | +7.7% |
| National firm | $163,000 | +1.0% |
| Regional firm | $152,100 | -5.8% |
| Local firm | $142,800 | -11.5% |
| Industry / corporate | $161,400 | — |
Employer-type multipliers applied at a manager-level base on the BLS national median.
What affects pay
What drives CPA pay in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
The same factors move pay within a metro. Use the calculator to model your own.
Boston-Cambridge-Newton market
Greater Boston is a national center for life sciences, higher education, and asset management. That employer mix lifts accounting and finance pay above the national level, paired with a high cost of living.
Cost of labor
Boston-Cambridge-Newton wages track the local cost of living and employer competition — denser, higher-cost metros pay above the statewide median.
Employer mix
Big 4 and national firms pay a brand premium; regional/local firms and government pay below industry roles at the same level.
Role & experience
Pay roughly doubles from staff to controller. The CPA license adds a modeled premium and unlocks senior roles.
Remote & hybrid
Remote roles can pay to a national band rather than the local one, widening access to higher-paying employers.
How to use these figures
Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro figures here are a direct BLS wage measurement — but they cover accountants and auditors as a single occupation, so they are not specific to the CPA license, your role, or your employer. Use them as a local baseline, then model your own situation and submit a salary to sharpen the employer-level detail BLS does not publish.
Other metros
Compare nearby metro pay
CPA pay across other major metros — large, high-cost areas pay the strongest.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a CPA make in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
- The median accountant/auditor wage in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro is about $100,150 (+19.7% vs national). Licensed CPAs generally earn above this baseline.
- Does Boston-Cambridge-Newton pay more than the rest of Massachusetts?
- Large metros like Boston-Cambridge-Newton typically pay above their statewide median due to higher cost of living and a denser concentration of large employers and public-accounting firms.
How to read these numbers
National, state, and metro pay comes straight from the federal wage measurement for accountants & auditors — direct and source-backed, not scaled from anything.
Role, experience, CPA-license, and employer figures are modeled on top of that measurement and labeled Estimate — the federal data does not break those out, so we never present them as measurements.
Add your Boston-Cambridge-Newton salary
BLS measures the occupation, not your role, firm, or license. Submissions are what add that layer. Anonymous and quick.