HR Assistant salary in Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH
HR assistants earn more in Boston-Cambridge than anywhere else in Massachusetts. Expect a median of $57,440 a year1, 2.9% above the Massachusetts statewide median of $55,840 and 13.5% above the US median of $50,610. Only 17 of 384 US areas pay more for this job. It is the largest market for the job in Massachusetts: about 1,150 people.
BLS occupation 43-4161, area Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Boston-Cambridge against Massachusetts and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | $45,110 | $57,440 | $71,460 | |
| Massachusetts | $42,970 | $55,840 | $71,130 | |
| United States | $37,340 | $50,610 | $68,280 |
The middle half of HR assistants in Boston-Cambridge earns $49,040–$64,860. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $71,460, only 1.6 times the bottom tenth, against 1.8 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($57,310) is no higher than the median, so few high earners skew the figures here. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $15,820 wide, wider than in Massachusetts as a whole ($15,650) and the US ($15,770), so what a HR assistant earns in Boston-Cambridge depends more on the employer.
What to budget for an HR assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,110 | $3,759 | $21.69 | $58,206 |
| 25th percentile | $49,040 | $4,087 | $23.58 | $63,277 |
| Median | $57,440 | $4,787 | $27.62 | $74,116 |
| 75th percentile | $64,860 | $5,405 | $31.18 | $83,690 |
| 90th percentile | $71,460 | $5,955 | $34.36 | $92,206 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,420 a year in pay and about $9,574 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,400 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $50,610 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Boston-Cambridge, and the Massachusetts statewide median of $55,840 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Boston-Cambridge
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $16,676 to the $57,440 median and brings it to $74,116 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for HR assistants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Boston-Cambridge
Of the 17 roles we track in Boston-Cambridge, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between administrative assistants ($59,330) and e-commerce order specialists ($55,090). Project Coordinator is the highest at $114,990.
| Role | Median | vs HR assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +6.1% | 21,170 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +3.3% | 28,540 | |
| HR Assistant | this role | 1,150 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -4.1% | 1,100 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -10.2% | 16,330 |
Measured against the US median, HR assistants rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in Boston-Cambridge (+13.5%), between payroll specialists (+14.9%) and project coordinators (+12.4%). The typical role here is at +15.6%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. HR assistants hold 0.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Boston-Cambridge, 0.4% across Massachusetts and 0.6% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Massachusetts
Across the 3 areas of Massachusetts with data for this job, the median runs from $49,850 in Worcester to $57,440 in Boston-Cambridge, a gap of $7,590 a year. No other area in Massachusetts has as many HR assistants, and both others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Boston-Cambridge | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | this area | 1,150 | |
| Springfield, MA | -7.1% | 80 | |
| Worcester, MA | -13.2% | 120 |
Boston-Cambridge against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Boston-Cambridge is #14 of 382 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Massachusetts, Baltimore-Columbia and Los Angeles-Long Beach pay just above Boston-Cambridge and Mount Vernon-Anacortes and Bridgeport-Stamford just below. All four are within $240 a year of the median in Boston-Cambridge. Of the three markets with about as many HR assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Boston-Cambridge | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +0.3% | 3,890 | pay | |
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | +0.2% | 660 | pay | |
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | this area | 1,150 | ||
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | -0.4% | 30 | pay | |
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | -0.4% | 240 | pay | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | -2.8% | 1,240 | jobs | |
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | -12.7% | 1,080 | jobs | |
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | -14.9% | 1,140 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an HR assistant in Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH?
About $74,116 a year at the median, or $6,176 a month: $57,440 in pay plus about $16,676 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for HR assistants in Boston-Cambridge?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $57,440 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $45,110, the 90th $71,460, and the middle half earned $49,040 to $64,860.
Is Boston-Cambridge the most expensive area in Massachusetts for HR assistants?
Yes. Its median of $57,440 is the highest of 3 areas in Massachusetts. Springfield comes next at $53,390.
How many HR assistants work in Boston-Cambridge?
BLS counts about 1,150 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Massachusetts has as many.
Does an HR assistant cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Boston-Cambridge?
Yes: $2,350 a year more at the median. The medians are $57,440 and $55,090.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4161: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.