Nurse Practitioner.
Boston.
$156,000
median salary, 21% above the national average
$133,000 to $181,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Nurse Practitioner in Boston earns a median of $156,000 in 2026. That is 21% above the national average. The range runs from $133,000 to $181,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Specialty area is the dominant pay lever, with psychiatric and acute care NPs earning 15 to 25% above family practice. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Nurse Practitioner in Boston, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $147,480 for Nurse Practitioners (SOC 29-1171) in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan area, based on 5,990 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$116,600
25th percentile
$134,350
Median
$147,480
75th percentile
$172,040
90th percentile
$212,490
Workers surveyed
5,990
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Nurse Practitioners (SOC 29-1171) rather than Nurse Practitioner specifically. The Bostonrange at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 29-1171Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $141,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$101,000
to $125,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$133,000
to $164,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$172,000
to $203,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$195,000
to $242,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $44,000 to the total package.
Base
$156,000
Equity
$25,000
Bonus
$16,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $200,000
How Boston compares.
Boston, MA
$156,000
Cost of living: 22% above average
National Average
$129,000
Boston is $27,000 above
Nurse Practitioner salary by city.
Salary by role in Boston.
What you should know.
Here is what the Nurse Practitioner market actually looks like in Boston. Boston's job market is powered by world class universities, a thriving biotech corridor, and established finance and healthcare sectors. The Kendall Square area is one of the most concentrated biotech hubs globally. Tech salaries in Boston are competitive with West Coast markets, particularly for roles that intersect with life sciences, AI, and robotics. Specialty area is the dominant pay lever, with psychiatric and acute care NPs earning 15 to 25% above family practice. States granting full practice authority pay more due to independent billing. Years of experience and certifications like ACNP or PMHNP also drive meaningful increases.
New graduate NPs start around $100,000 to $110,000. With five to seven years of specialty experience, compensation reaches $125,000 to $140,000. Lead NPs or those in director-level clinical roles can earn $150,000 to $170,000, especially in high-demand specialties. In Boston, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 22% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Many NPs receive signing bonuses of $5,000 to $15,000, CME stipends, malpractice coverage, and retirement contributions. Hospital-employed NPs may also receive shift differentials and productivity bonuses tied to patient volume. And on the tax side: massachusetts has a flat 5% income tax on most earnings, plus a 4% surtax on income above $1 million. There is no city income tax in Boston, keeping the total burden moderate. When someone quotes you $156,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Emphasize specialized credentials or advanced degrees. Boston employers, especially in biotech and finance, place a premium on educational pedigree and certifications. The range for Nurse Practitioners in Boston runs from $133,000 to $181,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- An AI Engineer in Boston earns $157,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Boston is CTO at $381,000
Common questions.
Nurse Practitioner salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Boston.
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