Registered Nurse Salary: Boston vs New York City
Same job, two cities — but the paycheck that looks bigger isn’t always the one that goes further. We compare gross pay, take-home after tax, and cost-of-living-adjusted real salary.
THE VERDICT
Even though a Registered Nurse grosses $2,000 more in New York City, Boston wins on what actually matters: after tax and cost of living, its real salary is $6,151 higher in equivalent buying power ($43,164 vs $37,013).
HIGHER REAL PAY
Real salary $43,164 equivalent
Entry (25th)$85,000
Median (50th)$107,000
Senior (75th)$135,000
Top (90th)$169,000
30% premium vs national median. Registered Nurses in Boston earn approximately 30% higher than the US national median for this role — a $25,000 premium on annual base salary. This reflects Boston's position as a higher-cost labor market where employers must match local wage norms.
Cost-of-living adjusted picture. Adjusted for Boston's cost-of-living index (162), the median Registered Nurse salary buys the equivalent of $66,049 in a US-average-cost city. That's $15,951 less purchasing power than the national median — the higher nominal salary doesn't fully offset local costs.
Real salary $37,013 equivalent
Entry (25th)$86,000
Median (50th)$109,000
Senior (75th)$138,000
Top (90th)$173,000
33% premium vs national median. Registered Nurses in New York City earn approximately 33% higher than the US national median for this role — a $27,000 premium on annual base salary. This reflects New York City's position as a higher-cost labor market where employers must match local wage norms.
Cost-of-living adjusted picture. Adjusted for New York City's cost-of-living index (187), the median Registered Nurse salary buys the equivalent of $58,289 in a US-average-cost city. That's $23,711 less purchasing power than the national median — the higher nominal salary doesn't fully offset local costs.
Head-to-head breakdown
| Metric | Boston | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross salary | $107,000 | $109,000 ✓ |
| State income tax | 5% ✓ | 6.85% |
| Est. take-home pay | $69,925 ✓ | $69,215 |
| Cost-of-living index | 162 ✓ | 187 |
| Real salary (COL-adjusted take-home) | $43,164 ✓ | $37,013 |
Real salary = take-home pay (after federal tax, state tax, and FICA) adjusted for each city’s cost-of-living index, shown in US-average-cost dollars. Take-home uses a 22% federal + 7.65% FICA estimate plus state tax; your actual rate depends on filing status and deductions. Methodology · Updated Q3 2026.