Boston, MA
Cosmetology Schools in Boston, MA, Ranked (2026)
Downtown Boston across the Charles River. Photo by Chris Rycroft, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Published
Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology
Beauty schools in Boston train to one of the shortest requirements in the country. Massachusetts licenses a cosmetologist at 1,000 hours, roughly two thirds of the 1,500-hour norm, and the schools regulation puts a hard floor under it: not less than 1,000 hours, spread over not less than six months.
The catch is where the schools are. One ranked school sits inside Boston, Jupiter Beauty Academy. The other ten are in the ring of towns around it, from Malden at 5 miles to Westborough at 30. The state board licenses six schools in the city itself, Madison Park Technical High School among them, and one more nearby school was too small to rank.
Figures in this section: Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure); BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
The 11 Cosmetology Schools in and Near Boston, Ranked on Completion
12 cosmetology programs report to the US Department of Education from inside Boston or within 30 miles of downtown. 11 of them had at least 40 students and a published completion figure, and they are ordered on the share of students who finish within half again the program's normal length. The other 1 had too few students to rank, so the list stops at 11.
Where a school's board record was matched, the card carries it. A school that appears here without one is not unlicensed; it means the board's file and the federal file did not agree on its name, and the Massachusetts page links the board's own lookup.
| # | School | Miles | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EINE Inc | 18 | 100% |
| 2 | Massachusetts School of Barbering | 8 | 100% |
| 3 | Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics | 10 | 96% |
| 4 | Jupiter Beauty Academy | 4 | 84% |
| 5 | Lowell Academy Hairstyling Institute | 23 | 82% |
| 6 | Empire Beauty School-Malden | 5 | 78% |
| 7 | Spa Tech Institute-Westboro | 30 | 77% |
| 8 | Southeastern Technical Institute | 24 | 74% |
| 9 | Tri County Regional Vocational Technical High School | 26 | 70% |
| 10 | New England Hair Academy | 5 | 67% |
| 11 | North Shore Community College | 17 | 18% |
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#1
EINE Inc
Tewksbury, MA
100%
Share of students who finish
- 100% finish
- 34 graduates a year
- $16,200 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Tewksbury, EINE Inc is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. Of the 47 students in its fall count, 100 percent complete the course they started. The published cost is $16,200 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $6,333 in federal loans, measured over 26 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. More of its students finish than at most schools on this page, 100 percent against 78, and the price is 15 percent over the $14,095 median. The premium buys better odds of reaching the exam, and the course you do not finish is the one that costs the most. 34 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. The Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering holds the record that counts your hours; find this school on it by its legal name and check it is current before a deposit.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Boston-Cambridge-Newton earn under $37,430, with the tenth percentile at $31,600 and the ninetieth at $78,850. This is a market with a long tail: the ninetieth percentile runs past double the median, and that gap is clientele rather than credentials. Concentration around Boston-Cambridge-Newton runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.5 times, or 7,870 people in the occupation.
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#2
Massachusetts School of Barbering
Quincy, MA · Post-Secondary
100%
Share of students who finish
- Barbering
- $16,550 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Quincy, Massachusetts School of Barbering is on the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering register. The license here is a barber license, which means men's cutting, shaving and beard work. It takes a similar hour count to cosmetology and is a narrower ticket, and for someone who already knows they want that end of the trade, the narrowness is the point. 100 percent of its students finish, out of 44 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $16,550 for the full program. 52 graduates borrowed, at a median of $8,293 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $88 a month. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 100 percent, 22 points over the 78 percent median, is a good sign. $16,550 is 17 percent over the $14,095 median for a similar hour count, which needs a reason. It awarded 32 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Check its license with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Boston-Cambridge-Newton runs from $31,600 at the tenth percentile to $78,850 at the ninetieth, with a median of $37,430. Cosmetologists are the nearest series BLS carries to barbers here. The spread above the median is wide enough that averages mislead here. What separates the top is a client list built over years. Boston-Cambridge-Newton employs cosmetologists at about 1.5 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#3
Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics
Woburn, MA · Post-Secondary
96%
Share of students who finish
- $14,625 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Woburn, Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics is on the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering register. This is a specialist: an esthetics license, not cosmetology. The work is skincare, facials and hair removal rather than hair, the course is a fraction of the hours a cosmetology license takes, and it does not license you to cut or color hair, so compare it with the other specialists here rather than with the full-service schools. With 9 licensed schools in Woburn, this one is competing for students rather than the only option. The school graduates 96 percent, on a fall headcount of 174. The published cost is $14,625 for the full program. The median graduate left with $6,303 in federal loans, across 203 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 96 percent, 18 points over the 78 percent median, is a good sign. $14,625 is within 4 percent of the $14,095 median for a course shorter than cosmetology, which is dear for esthetics and worth asking about. 209 credentials in the year from a fall count of 174: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. Verify the school's standing with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Half of skincare specialists around Boston-Cambridge-Newton earn under $47,480, with the tenth percentile at $36,020 and the ninetieth at $68,670. A 1.9-to-one spread from bottom to top is ordinary for the trade, and here as everywhere the top belongs to a client book. Boston-Cambridge-Newton employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 1,180 people.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#4
Jupiter Beauty Academy
Boston, MA · Post-Secondary
84%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $1,010 program cost
What the record shows
Jupiter Beauty Academy trains in Boston, licensed by the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering. 84 percent of the 201 students it enrolls finish. Tuition is reported at $1,010 for the full program. 6 points above the 78 percent median puts it in the top part of this page on the outcome a clock-hour course is bought for. 329 credentials in the year from a fall count of 201: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. Check its license with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Boston-Cambridge-Newton runs from $31,600 at the tenth percentile to $78,850 at the ninetieth, with a median of $37,430. Top earners locally clear twice the median, so the ceiling is real, though it belongs to stylists with an established book rather than to new graduates. Boston-Cambridge-Newton employs the trade at about 1.5 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#5
Lowell Academy Hairstyling Institute
Lowell, MA · Post-Secondary
82%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $14,590 program cost
What the record shows
Lowell Academy Hairstyling Institute trains in Lowell, licensed by the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering. The school graduates 82 percent, on a fall headcount of 66. Tuition is reported at $14,590 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $7,500 in federal loans, measured over 57 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $80 a month. It is close to the median school on this page on completion, price and borrowing, 82 percent against 78 and $14,590 against $14,095, 51 percent of the price borrowed against 50 for the page, which is neither a warning nor a recommendation: the choice comes down to the visit and the board file. It awarded 36 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Ask the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering directly whether the license is in good standing, because a lapse while you are enrolled costs you the hours rather than the school.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Boston-Cambridge-Newton, the range runs $31,600 to $78,850 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $37,430. The top of this market earns more than double the median, which is the part of the trade that rewards a following, and it takes years to build. Concentration around Boston-Cambridge-Newton runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.5 times, or 7,870 people in the occupation.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#6
Empire Beauty School-Malden
Malden, MA · Post-Secondary
78%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $13,600 program cost
What the record shows
Empire Beauty School-Malden is licensed by the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering and trains in Malden. The school graduates 78 percent, on a fall headcount of 95. It charges $13,600 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. Empire Beauty campuses share a debt figure in the federal file, $12,090 in federal loans at the median over 987 borrowers, so read it as the chain's number rather than this floor's. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $128 a month. On completion and price it is close to the median school on this page, 78 percent, exactly the median and $13,600 against $14,095, which is neither a warning nor a recommendation: the choice comes down to the visit and the board file. 58 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Confirm the school's current license with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Boston-Cambridge-Newton earn under $37,430, with the tenth percentile at $31,600 and the ninetieth at $78,850. This is a market with a long tail: the ninetieth percentile runs past double the median, and that gap is clientele rather than credentials. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Boston-Cambridge-Newton than nationally, at roughly 1.5 times the usual rate.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#7
Spa Tech Institute-Westboro
Westborough, MA · Post-Secondary
77%
Share of students who finish
- Esthetics
- $12,950 program cost
What the record shows
Spa Tech Institute-Westboro is licensed by the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering and trains in Westborough. The license here is an esthetics license, which means skincare, facials and hair removal rather than hair. It takes a fraction of the hours a cosmetology license takes and is a narrower ticket, and for someone who already knows they want that end of the trade, the narrowness is the point. The board lists no other licensed school in Westborough. Of 182 enrolled in the fall count, 77 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $12,950 for the full program. Borrowing is pooled across Spa Tech campuses in the federal file, 324 borrowers at a median of $6,333 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 77 percent, 1 points under the 78 percent median, is about what this page does. $12,950 is within 9 percent of the $14,095 median for a course shorter than cosmetology, which is dear for esthetics and worth asking about. It awarded 147 beauty credentials in the reporting year. That is roughly 9 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. Confirm the school's current license with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.
Where it leads
Half of skincare specialists around Worcester earn under $46,270, with the tenth percentile at $37,330 and the ninetieth at $63,350. The local occupation is small in absolute terms, which tends to mean hiring runs through personal contacts. Worcester employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 120 people.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#8
Southeastern Technical Institute
South Easton, MA · Secondary
74%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $11,125 program cost
What the record shows
Southeastern Technical Institute operates in South Easton under license from the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering. The board lists it as a high school program. 74 percent of students across the school finish, out of 260 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. That 74 percent is ordinary for this page, and it belongs to the whole campus; ask the cosmetology department for the program's own figure. Tuition is reported at $11,125. That price is 21 percent under the $14,095 median, which is what public pricing looks like. It awarded 13 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Verify the school's standing with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Providence-Warwick earn under $31,200, with the tenth percentile at $31,200 and the ninetieth at $65,430. Against the state as a whole, the metro sits roughly 16 percent under on median pay. The tenth percentile and the median are the same $31,200, which means at least four in ten report the floor; the published median is the entry wage here, and everything above it is tips and a following. Providence-Warwick carries roughly 1.5 times the national concentration of this work, among the denser markets in the country.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#9
Tri County Regional Vocational Technical High School
Franklin, MA · Secondary
70%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $10,185 program cost
What the record shows
Tri County Regional Vocational Technical High School operates in Franklin under license from the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering. The board lists it as a high school program. 70 percent of students across the center finish, out of 72 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 70 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. Tuition is reported at $10,185. That price is 28 percent under the $14,095 median, which is what public pricing looks like. 9 credentials in a year means the cosmetology program barely ran; ask whether it is enrolling this term before anything else. Ask the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering directly whether the license is in good standing, because a lapse while you are enrolled costs you the hours rather than the school.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Boston-Cambridge-Newton runs from $31,600 at the tenth percentile to $78,850 at the ninetieth, with a median of $37,430. Top earners locally clear twice the median, so the ceiling is real, though it belongs to stylists with an established book rather than to new graduates. Concentration around Boston-Cambridge-Newton runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.5 times, or 7,870 people in the occupation.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#10
New England Hair Academy
Malden, MA · Post-Secondary
67%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $16,550 program cost
What the record shows
New England Hair Academy operates in Malden under license from the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering. 67 percent of the 87 students it enrolls finish. Tuition is reported at $16,550 for the full program. 11 points fewer finish than the 78 percent median and it costs 17 percent over the $14,095 median, so before enrolling ask what happens to the students who do not get through. It awarded 137 credentials over the year against a fall headcount of 87, which is what a clock-hour course that turns over more than one cohort a year looks like. Ask the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering directly whether the license is in good standing, because a lapse while you are enrolled costs you the hours rather than the school.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Boston-Cambridge-Newton, the range runs $31,600 to $78,850 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $37,430. Top earners locally clear twice the median, so the ceiling is real, though it belongs to stylists with an established book rather than to new graduates. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Boston-Cambridge-Newton than nationally, at roughly 1.5 times the usual rate.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#11
North Shore Community College
Danvers, MA · Post-Secondary
18%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
What the record shows
North Shore Community College is licensed by the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering and trains in Danvers. The board lists no other licensed school in Danvers. 18 percent of students across the college finish, out of 4,393 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 18 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. Its 20 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 4,393. It is a public college, so the cosmetology course is priced at in-district tuition rather than at an academy price. Verify the school's standing with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Boston-Cambridge-Newton earn under $37,430, with the tenth percentile at $31,600 and the ninetieth at $78,850. Top earners locally clear twice the median, so the ceiling is real, though it belongs to stylists with an established book rather than to new graduates. Boston-Cambridge-Newton employs the trade at about 1.5 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
Other Licensed Cosmetology Schools in Boston
Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure) lists 6 currently licensed schools in Boston. These 5 appear above, either because the school takes no federal aid and so reports no completion figure, or because its cohort was too small to rank. Being on this list means the board licenses the school, which is the thing that makes your hours count.
| School | License |
|---|---|
| Cali For Nails Academy - Dorchester | Post-Secondary |
| East Boston Beauty Academy | Post-Secondary |
| Jupiter Aesthetics Academy | Post-Secondary |
| Lash L'Amour Learning | Post-Secondary |
| Madison Park Technical High School | Secondary |
What Massachusetts Requires of a Boston Cosmetology Student
Your license comes from the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering, inside the Division of Occupational Licensure. It asks for 1,000 hours of professional training at a board-approved school, running at least six months. Schools get a 10 percent tolerance either way on any single subject, but the 1,000-hour total is a floor they can't drop below.
The shorter requirement cuts both ways, and it's worth being clear about. A 1,000-hour course costs less and finishes sooner than a 1,500-hour one, which is why qualifying in Massachusetts is cheaper than in most states. It also leaves you with fewer banked hours than most states ask for, and moving your license out later is an application to that state's board rather than a transfer.
Esthetics runs 600 hours here and manicuring 100. None of it can be done remotely. The Massachusetts schools regulation says nothing about distance, online or correspondence instruction, so the whole course is in person. The states that do allow a share online are a different set.
Figures in this section: Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure); College Scorecard, June 2026.
Where the Ranked Boston Beauty Schools Actually Are
Two schools report 100% completion and both are small. EINE Inc in Tewksbury, 18 miles out, finished all 47 of its students at $16,200. Massachusetts School of Barbering in Quincy, 8 miles out, finished all 44 at $16,550, and it teaches barbering, a separate license from cosmetology. A perfect figure on 44 students is a thin cohort rather than a guarantee.
Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics in Woburn is the strongest of the larger schools: 96% of 174 students, $14,625 for the program, and $27,075 five years out. Jupiter Beauty Academy, the only ranked school inside Boston, finished 84% of 201 students and reports $25,998 five years out. Its listed program price is $1,010, far below anything else here.
Massachusetts licenses public vocational high school programs on the same roster as private academies, tagging every row Secondary or Post-Secondary. Two ranked entries carry the Secondary tag: Southeastern Technical Institute at 74% and Tri County Regional Vocational Technical High School at 70%. Inside the city, Madison Park Technical High School holds the same kind of license.
One entry needs reading carefully. North Shore Community College shows 18% completion across 4,393 students, but that describes the whole college rather than the beauty program. The order on this page is the federal completion figure; the methodology explains how it's built, and the Massachusetts page carries the full state list.
Figures in this section: Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure); BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What Beauty Work Pays in the Boston Metro
For this trade, the Boston metro is close to being all of Massachusetts. It employs 7,870 of the state's 9,600 hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists, and the two medians land $140 apart: $37,430 in the metro, $37,290 statewide. The metro's location quotient is 1.48, so the trade is about half again as concentrated here as it is nationally.
The spread is where the story is. The bottom tenth of metro hairdressers report $31,600 and the top tenth $78,850, a range of more than $47,000 inside one occupation. That gap is mostly clientele and years behind the chair, not credentials, and it's the honest version of the six-figure claim you'll hear in an admissions meeting.
Nails are the flat one. Metro manicurists and pedicurists run from $34,880 at the tenth percentile to $46,220 at the ninetieth, the narrowest spread of the three trades reported here, at a median of $35,480 across 3,780 workers. Predictable, and predictably capped. Nail technician pay has the national comparison.
Skincare specialists sit highest, at a metro median of $47,480 across 1,180 workers, about $10,000 above hairdressers. All of these come from employer payroll, and BLS doesn't capture booth renters, who are a large share of this workforce, so read every median as employed pay. Esthetics takes 600 hours here rather than 1,000.
Figures in this section: Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure); BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What Cosmetology Careers Pay in Boston
Median annual pay in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, from the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. A cosmetologist here earns a median of $37,430 against $37,290 across Massachusetts, with 7,870 employed in the metro. Booth renters and salon owners are self-employed and outside the survey, so these figures describe stylists on a payroll.
- Estheticians $47,480 $47,480
- Cosmetologists $37,430 $37,430
- Nail technicians $35,480 $35,480
| Occupation | Metro median | Massachusetts median |
|---|---|---|
| Estheticians | $47,480 | $47,310 |
| Cosmetologists | $37,430 | $37,290 |
| Nail technicians | $35,480 | $35,470 |
Each occupation has its own salary page with the range and every state, and a career page on the work and the license it needs.
Common Questions About Cosmetology School in Boston
Answers draw on Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), the College Scorecard and the May 2025 BLS wage release.
How many hours do you need for a cosmetology license in Boston?
Which cosmetology schools are inside Boston itself?
Does Boston's 1,000-hour requirement make beauty school cheaper?
Do Boston beauty schools accept online hours?
What do hairstylists earn in the Boston metro?
Are vocational high school cosmetology programs near Boston licensed the same way?
Sources
- Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), school license records, read 2026-08-31. Hour requirement for a cosmetologist license: 1,000 clock hours, cited to the rule.
- US Department of Education, College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Completion, enrollment, cost and location for every cosmetology program (CIP 12.04) within 30 miles of downtown Boston. Each card links its institution's Scorecard page.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Metro-area wages and employment for the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area.