DevOps Engineer Salary: Detroit, MI vs Boston, MA
BLS does not publish a separate estimate for DevOps Engineers. The figures on this page are the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Network and Computer Systems Administrators (15-1244), the closest published occupation.
Side-by-side comparison of wages and local price levels for DevOps Engineers in Detroit, MI and Boston, MA, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data and BEA regional price parities for 2024.
1Which City Pays More?
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Detroit, MI | Boston, MA | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Salary | $96,400 | $116,770▲ | -$20,370 |
| 25th Percentile | $78,520 | $95,490▲ | -$16,970 |
| 75th Percentile | $117,970 | $138,710▲ | -$20,740 |
| 90th Percentile | $140,110 | $169,530▲ | -$29,420 |
| Price Level (BEA 2024, US = 100) | 100.3 | 108.3 | -8.0 |
| Median at National-Average Prices | $96,114 | $107,855▲ | -$11,741 |
| Total Employment | 3,010 | 6,760 | -3,750 |
3Summary Analysis
On paper, Boston, MA pays $20,370 more (median: $96,400 vs $116,770). BEA's regional price parity is 100.3 in Detroit, MI and 108.3 in Boston, MA (United States = 100). At national-average prices the medians are $96,114 and $107,855, so Boston, MA comes out ahead once local prices are counted.
4More DevOps Engineer City Comparisons
5Reading This Comparison
The $20,370 gap between the two medians is a gap in dollars, not in what those dollars buy. Dividing each median by its area's regional price parity restates it at national-average prices: $96,114 for Detroit and $107,855 for Boston, a difference of $11,741.
The price levels come from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, which describes them this way: “Regional price parities (RPPs) measure the differences in price levels across states and metropolitan areas for a given year and are expressed as a percentage of the overall national price level.” The figures used here are the all-items index for each whole metropolitan area (Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH) and cover prices only, not taxes.
BLS estimates 3,010 DevOps Engineer jobs in the Detroit area and 6,760 in the Boston area. For broader context, see our Michigan overview and the full DevOps Engineer city ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DevOps Engineer salary higher in Detroit, MI or Boston, MA?
Boston, MA has the higher median wage for DevOps Engineers ($116,770 per year, against $96,400 in Detroit, MI; BLS OEWS May 2025). Restated at national-average prices using BEA regional price parities, the medians are $96,114 in Detroit, MI and $107,855 in Boston, MA.
How do prices compare between Detroit, MI and Boston, MA?
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis puts the 2024 regional price parity at 100.3 for the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metropolitan area and 108.3 for the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan area, where the United States is 100. That is 0.3% above the national level for Detroit, MI and 8.3% above the national level for Boston, MA.
Which city pays DevOps Engineers more once local prices are counted?
Boston, MA: at national-average prices its median DevOps Engineer wage is $107,855, against $96,114 for Detroit, MI. The adjustment divides each median by the area's BEA regional price parity and covers prices only, not taxes.