2026 Edition · An annual reference on what work pays

Boston vs. Washington

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.

Data released May 2025 BLS OEWS · SOC 43-6011
Fig. 1 — Side by side

Both distributions, one scale

10th to 90th percentile, median struck in red
60k80k100k120k BOSTON $85,260 WASHINGTON $90,320
Table 1 — Adjusted

Washington's median is 5.9% higher — but after local prices, Washington still leads by 5.3%.

Boston's median $85,260 buys $78,800 at national prices (price parity 108.3); Washington's $90,320 buys $83,000 (108.9).

Table 2 — The figures

Point by point

Published percentiles for both metros; the last column is Washington against Boston.

BostonWashingtonΔ
Employment11,29012,960+14.8%
10th percentile$61,400$60,960−0.7%
25th percentile$74,630$75,300+0.9%
Median$85,260$90,320+5.9%
75th percentile$101,520$102,340+0.8%
90th percentile$126,940$121,330−4.4%
Sources

How this page was made

Wage data
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. Public domain.
Price parity
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Full pages
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants in Boston · Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants in Washington

Percentiles are reported exactly as released. Derived (price-adjusted) figures round to the nearest hundred. We take no payment for how any figure is presented.