Machine Learning Engineer Salary: San Francisco, CA vs Boston, MA
Side-by-side comparison of salary, taxes, cost of living, and take-home pay for Machine Learning Engineers in San Francisco, CA and Boston, MA, based on BLS OEWS 2026 data.
1Which City Pays More After Tax?
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Salary | $170,000▲ | $150,000 | +$20,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $130,900▲ | $115,500 | +$15,400 |
| 75th Percentile | $217,600▲ | $192,000 | +$25,600 |
| 90th Percentile | $272,000▲ | $240,000 | +$32,000 |
| Cost of Living Index | 186 | 162 | +24 |
| State Income Tax | 9.3% | 5%▲ | +4.300000000000001% |
| COL-Adjusted Median | $91,398 | $92,593▲ | -$1,195 |
| Est. Annual Take-Home | $142,472▲ | $131,670 | +$10,802 |
| COL-Adj. Take-Home | $76,598 | $81,278▲ | -$4,680 |
| Total Employment | 41,600 | 33,600 | +8,000 |
3Summary Analysis
On paper, San Francisco, CA pays $20,000 more (median: $170,000 vs $150,000). However, after adjusting for cost of living (index 186 vs 162), Boston, MA provides better purchasing power ($91,398 vs $92,593 equivalent). Boston, MA has the lower state tax rate (5% vs 9.3%).
5How to Weigh This Comparison
The $20,000 nominal pay gap between San Francisco, CA and Boston, MA is the wrong number to focus on in isolation. Cost-of-living indices of 186 and 162 mean the same paycheck stretches very differently in each market. The COL-adjusted figures above — $91,398 in San Francisco vs $92,593 in Boston— are the closest proxy for "how much will your money actually buy." A small gap of $1,195 on that axis usually beats any nominal salary difference.
Housing is the single biggest driver of cost-of-living differences. In San Francisco, CA, expect housing to consume a larger share of gross income than in Boston, MA. If you're planning to rent, the COL index is a reasonable proxy for rent differences. If you're buying, expect purchase price differences to be sharper than the composite index suggests — housing tends to be the most inelastic component of cost of living.
Tax treatment matters but is usually smaller than COL impact. The 4.3% state tax rate difference (9.3% in California vs 5% in Massachusetts) translates to roughly $7,310 per year at these salary levels. States with no income tax (Texas, Florida, Washington, Nevada, Tennessee) often offset with higher property tax or sales tax, so factor in your housing and consumption patterns.
Career factors that don't show up in these numbers: total employment (with 41,600 positions in San Francisco vs 33,600 in Boston, the larger market offers more lateral moves and promotion paths), industry concentration (tech-heavy cities like San Francisco, Seattle, Austin pay premiums for engineering roles but may underpay other occupations), and 3–5 year career trajectory (year-over-year employment growth of 4.3% in San Francisco vs 4.1% in Boston reveals whether each market is expanding or contracting). For a broader context, see our California overview and the full Machine Learning Engineer city ranking.