When you enter the tool, you will see a walkthrough with all data sources listed including the Bureau Labor of Statistics, US Department of Labor, and Burning Glass Technologies.

Salary data is updated annually in alignment with Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting. Growth data is updated every other year.

In this tool, a well-paying job refers to one that pays at least 80% of the median salary for all workers in a selected region. For the Boston metro area report, that salary number is $50,000. For the Central MA region, that number is $40,860. We selected 80% of the median salary because it approximates the minimum salary required for an individual to cover their living expenses in the selected region. See MIT’s Living Wage calculator for more information on how this minimum living wage is calculated.

It includes any postsecondary credential/training below a bachelor’s degree, for example, an associate degree, vocational certificate, civil service exam, or apprenticeship. It also includes a small number of jobs that require a high school diploma combined with on-the-job training by the employer.

A career area refers to a broad field of work.

The X-axis shows how many people work in the specific career areas in the region. The Y-axis shows the average salary by career area in the region.

The growth level indicates the expected growth in the occupation in Massachusetts for the ten-year period of 2020-2030. The tool shows three growth levels:

Low
Lower than average growth or less than 2% projected job growth

Average
Average growth or between 2% and 15% projected job growth

High
Higher than average growth or greater than 15% projected job growth

Entry-level salary represents the lower end of the salary range for the occupation (i.e., the 25th-percentile salary for the occupation). Typically, workers will earn a salary at the 25th-percentile or higher after a few years of experience in the field.

Mid-level salary represents the median salary for the occupation in the region. Half of the workers in the occupation make less than the mid-level salary and half make more. Typically, workers will achieve a mid-level salary once they’ve accumulated several years of experience in the occupation.

“Education requirement” is the level of education or training typically needed to enter an occupation.

The salary level of an occupation is ranked as $$, $$$, or $$$$ based on where the occupation’s median salary ranks relative to the median salary for all occupations in a region:

$$ - Occupation pays less than the median salary for all occupations in the region.

$$$ - Occupation pays between the 50th (i.e., median) and 75th-percentile salary for all occupations in the region.

$$$$ - Occupation pays above the 75th-percentile for all occupations in the region.

BA stands for any Bachelor’s degree.

“Sub-BA Jobs” represents the number of people working in the occupation with less than a Bachelor’s degree.

“BA Jobs” represents the number of people working in the occupation with a Bachelor’s degree.

“Graduate Jobs” represents the number of people working in the occupation with a graduate degree.

The typical education required to enter some occupations may fall into more than one credential level. For example, some Registered Nurses get jobs with an associate degree, and others with a bachelor’s.

NextGen Talent’s goal is to boost the enrollment of low-income students – including students of color and first-generation college students, who are disproportionately low income – in postsecondary programs and majors that lead to well-paying jobs. These students do not have the same financial safety nets as their higher-income peers, therefore it is critical that they can identify postsecondary programs and career paths with strong labor market returns.

Websites including O*NET OnLine, MyNextMove, and Occupational Outlook Handbook are helpful to explore a variety of occupations with different levels of pay.