Massachusetts charges 5% flat + 4% surtax >$1M state income tax. Use the cost of living calculator pre-loaded with Massachusetts rates.
Open Cost of Living Calculator →Massachusetts's cost of living index is 118, and the flat 5% state tax further affects how far your dollar goes. The high cost of living combined with state income tax means you need a significantly higher gross salary to match the lifestyle available in cheaper states. This calculator factors in both taxes and cost of living for Massachusetts.
Massachusetts levies a flat 5% state income tax on all taxable income regardless of how much you earn. This makes tax planning straightforward: for every additional dollar you earn, 5 cents goes to Massachusetts. Massachusetts does not impose local income taxes, so the 5% flat rate is the only state-level income tax you owe.
The table below shows what you actually keep at five salary levels in Massachusetts, accounting for federal tax, FICA, and Massachusetts's flat 5% state tax.
See how Massachusetts compares to other Northeast states. Each link takes you to the cost of living calculator landing page for that state.
For a comprehensive breakdown of Massachusetts’s tax structure, salary comparisons, cost-of-living analysis, and more, visit the full Massachusetts take-home pay page.