Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives Salary in Boston, MA

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area earn a median $108,190 a year — 2% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $79,752 take-home, or $6,646 a month.

Median salary
$108,190
$52.01 per hour
Typical range
$83,220 – $161,150
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Boston, MA
3,720
1.38× national concentration
▲1.0%
Pay trend: The median for first-line supervisors of police and detectives in Boston, MA rose from $107,100 (May 2024) to $108,190 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 1.4%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median first-line supervisor of police and detectives salary in Boston, MA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives in Boston, MA
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$79,752
per year · effective tax rate 26.3%
$6,646Monthly
$3,323Twice a month
$3,067Every 2 weeks
$38.34Hourly
  • Federal income tax$14,972
  • Social Security (6.2%)$6,708
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,569
  • Massachusetts income tax$5,190
  • Take-home pay$79,752

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 5.00% state

The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro spans Massachusetts, New Hampshire. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives pay by experience in Boston, MA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$83,220$40.01$63,434$5,286
25th percentile$97,280$46.77$72,622$6,052
Median (50th)$108,190$52.01$79,752$6,646
75th percentile$129,050$62.04$93,239$7,770
90th percentile (top earners)$161,150$77.48$113,575$9,465

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Massachusetts resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $108,190 buys in Boston, MA

Prices in Boston, MA are 8.3% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.48× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median first-line supervisor of police and detectives's $79,752 take-home pay has the buying power of $73,663 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$2,276
34% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$2,762
42% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$4,370
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Boston, MA has 1.4× the national concentration of first-line supervisor of police and detectives jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

Best-paying cities for first-line supervisors of police and detectives, adjusted for cost of living

Boston, MA ranks #8 of 9 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Los Angeles, CA $167,600$112,285$98,872
2Chicago, IL $135,080$97,052$93,684
3Philadelphia, PA $119,540$89,257$87,034
4Baltimore, MD $124,660$90,868$86,966
5Miami, FL $127,570$98,460$86,251
6New York, NY $135,270$96,782$85,981
7Washington, DC $125,960$89,622$82,309
8Boston, MA $108,190$79,752$73,663

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 9 metros →

About the job: first-line supervisors of police and detectives

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
+3.3% (about average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a first-line supervisor of police and detectives make in Boston, MA?

The median first-line supervisor of police and detectives salary in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area is $108,190 a year, or about $52.01 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $97,280 and $129,050.

What is a first-line supervisor of police and detectives’s take-home pay in Boston, MA?

On the median $108,190 salary, a single filer living in Massachusetts takes home about $79,752 a year ($6,646 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $5,190 in Massachusetts taxes in 2026.

Is Boston, MA a good place to work as a first-line supervisor of police and detectives?

Pay here is 2% above the national median of $106,040. Local prices are 8.3% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $73,663 would in a typical U.S. city. Boston, MA ranks #8 of 9 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a first-line supervisor of police and detectives afford rent in Boston, MA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Boston, MA is $2,276 a month ($2,762 for two bedrooms) — 34% of a median first-line supervisor of police and detectives’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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