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

Packers and Packagers, Hand Salary in Boston, MA

Packers and Packagers, Hand in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area earn a median $33,740 a year — 7% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $27,823 take-home, or $2,319 a month.

Median salary
$33,740
$16.22 per hour
Typical range
$31,200 – $43,420
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Boston, MA
11,250
1.16× national concentration
▼1.0%
Pay trend: The median for packers and packagers, hand in Boston, MA fell from $34,070 (May 2024) to $33,740 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 3.4%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median packers and packagers, hand salary in Boston, MA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Packers and Packagers, Hand in Boston, MA
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$27,823
per year · effective tax rate 17.5%
$2,319Monthly
$1,159Twice a month
$1,070Every 2 weeks
$13.38Hourly
  • Federal income tax$1,869
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,092
  • Medicare (1.45%)$489
  • Massachusetts income tax$1,467
  • Take-home pay$27,823

Marginal rate: 12% 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 →

Packers and Packagers, Hand pay by experience in Boston, MA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$31,200$15.00$25,909$2,159
25th percentile$31,270$15.03$25,962$2,163
Median (50th)$33,740$16.22$27,823$2,319
75th percentile$36,990$17.78$30,272$2,523
90th percentile (top earners)$43,420$20.88$35,117$2,926

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

What $33,740 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 packers and packagers, hand's $27,823 take-home pay has the buying power of $25,699 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$2,276
98% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$2,762
119% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$43
per month for everything else

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

Packers and Packagers, Hand jobs are about as common in Boston, MA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.16).

Best-paying cities for packers and packagers, hand, adjusted for cost of living

Boston, MA ranks #45 of 47 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Kansas City, MO $44,460$36,751$39,713
2Philadelphia, PA $43,970$36,160$35,259
3Cleveland, OH $37,440$32,016$34,087
4Columbus, OH $38,090$32,520$34,064
5Seattle, WA $44,010$37,542$33,781
6Memphis, TN $35,630$30,809$33,423
7St. Louis, MO $37,280$31,320$32,938
8Cincinnati, OH $36,650$31,403$32,927
45Boston, MA$33,740$27,823$25,699

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 47 metros →

About the job: packers and packagers, hand

Pack or package by hand a wide variety of products and materials.

Typical education
No formal educational credential
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
-5.0% (declining)

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

Frequently asked questions

How much does a packers and packagers, hand make in Boston, MA?

The median packers and packagers, hand salary in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area is $33,740 a year, or about $16.22 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $31,270 and $36,990.

What is a packers and packagers, hand’s take-home pay in Boston, MA?

On the median $33,740 salary, a single filer living in Massachusetts takes home about $27,823 a year ($2,319 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,467 in Massachusetts taxes in 2026.

Is Boston, MA a good place to work as a packers and packagers, hand?

Pay here is 7% below the national median of $36,280. Local prices are 8.3% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $25,699 would in a typical U.S. city. Boston, MA ranks #45 of 47 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a packers and packagers, hand 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) — 98% of a median packers and packagers, hand’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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