Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025
Computer Network Support Specialist Salary in Boston, MA
Technology · SOC 15-1231 · COL Index 152.1
Computer Network Support Specialists in Boston, MA earn a median salary of $88,950 as of 2025, with a 10th-to-90th percentile range of $58,950 to $134,640. The mean is $94,260 across approximately 1,700 workers. Adjusted for Boston, MA's cost-of-living index of 152.1, the median equates to $58,481 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Computer Network Support Specialist in Boston, MA pays modestly above the national median: $88,950 versus $77,419 nationally, roughly 15% above.
Cost-of-living in Boston, MA runs at index 152.1 — well above the national 100 baseline. Adjusted for cost-of-living, the $88,950 median translates to roughly $58,481 in national-baseline dollars, a useful framing for relocation decisions. Wage distribution at the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles: $70,950, $88,950, $111,795, $134,640. 1,700 Computer Network Support Specialist workers are documented in Boston, MA per the BLS OEWS survey. The percentile spread is the most useful framing — entry-level pay clusters near p25, mid-career near p50, senior-level near p75-p90.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Percentile | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Entry Level) | $58,950 | $38,757 |
| 25th Percentile | $70,950 | $46,647 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $88,950 | $58,481 |
| 75th Percentile | $111,795 | $73,501 |
| 90th Percentile (Top Earners) | $134,640 | $88,521 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The 10th-to-90th percentile band for Computer Network Support Specialists in Boston, MA is moderately wide — the 90th-percentile worker earns about 2.3× the 10th-percentile worker. That is typical for a professional role with standard career progression: experience, scope, and employer size all matter, but the spread is not so extreme that the role bifurcates into separate sub-markets.
Boston, MA's cost-of-living index of 152.1 means $88,950 here has the same purchasing power as $58,481 in an average-cost U.S. metro. Housing dominates the gap; in markets at this level, mortgage or rent typically consumes 35–45% of pre-tax pay even at the median, which is why nominal salary numbers materially overstate take-home value.
Boston, MA ranks #10 of 69 BLS-tracked metros for Computer Network Support Specialist pay — in the top quartile nationally (top 14%). Markets in this band tend to be major regional employer hubs even when they are not the absolute highest-cost cities.
How to Use This in Negotiation
The classic negotiation move is to anchor your ask on the 75th percentile of the BLS band — $111,795 for Computer Network Support Specialists in Boston, MA — when you have meaningful experience, then bring evidence (years on the job, scope of past work, relevant certifications, comparable offers) to justify why you sit at that point in the distribution. Anchoring on the median when you have 5+ years of experience leaves money on the table; anchoring on the 90th percentile ($134,640) without strong evidence undercuts credibility.
For new entrants, the 25th-to-50th percentile band ($70,950–$88,950) is the realistic target. For mid-career workers, the median-to-75th band ($88,950–$111,795) is the right anchor. Senior specialists and managers should be benchmarking against the 75th-to-90th band ($111,795–$134,640).
For specific scripts and a full negotiation framework, see the data-driven salary negotiation guide. To benchmark your current pay, the salary percentile calculator places any number into the BLS distribution for this role and metro.
How This Salary Is Calculated
Wage figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program — a federal survey of about 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. The Boston, MA percentile bands above (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th) and the mean are pulled directly from the BLS data file for SOC code 15-1231 in this MSA. The COL-adjusted figure rebases salary to a U.S. national average COL of 100, using a composite index derived from public housing, food, and transportation data. Read the full methodology for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average Computer Network Support Specialist salary in Boston, MA?
Computer Network Support Specialists in Boston, MA earn a median salary of $88,950 as of 2025, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data. The mean (employment-weighted average) is $94,260 across roughly 1,700 workers in this metro.
What is the salary range for Computer Network Support Specialists in Boston, MA?
Pay ranges from $58,950 at the 10th percentile to $134,640 at the 90th percentile — a $75,690 spread. The 25th-to-75th percentile band ($70,950 to $111,795) is the typical anchor for salary negotiation.
Is $88,950 a good Computer Network Support Specialist salary in Boston, MA?
$88,950 is the BLS median — half of Computer Network Support Specialists in Boston, MA earn more, half earn less. Whether it is "good" depends on your experience: new entrants typically land near the 25th percentile ($70,950), mid-career workers near the median, and senior specialists near or above the 75th percentile ($111,795). Cost-of-living-adjusted to a national average baseline, the median equates to $58,481.
How does Computer Network Support Specialist pay in Boston, MA compare to other metros?
Boston, MA ranks #10 of 69 BLS-tracked metros for Computer Network Support Specialist median pay. It sits in the top quartile of U.S. metros for this role.
Where does this Computer Network Support Specialist salary data come from?
Every wage figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal data covering 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data feeds the U.S. Department of Labor's prevailing wage system used for H-1B and federal contracting wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Boston, MA MSA, SOC 15-1231, 2025 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2025."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 1,700 Computer Network Support Specialists tracked in Boston, MA.