Salary comparison
Child, Family, and School Social Workers: Boston vs Salisbury
Salisbury, MD pays about 5.3% more for child, family, and school social workers on paper — $81,520 vs $77,420. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Salisbury comes out ahead by $4,100 a year in real buying power.
Boston, MA
$77,420
$62,150
$97,860
$37.22
100
$77,420/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Salisbury, MD
$81,520
$61,890
$89,690
$39.19
100
$81,520/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $4,100 a year (5.3%) in favor of Salisbury. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Boston runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Salisbury sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Salisbury is the better deal by $4,100 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Boston to Salisbury for this role, the raise needs to beat 5.3% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do child, family, and school social workers earn more, Boston or Salisbury?
Salisbury pays $81,520 on median — about 5.3% more than Boston ($77,420). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Salisbury. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Salisbury gives you roughly$81,520 of real buying power versus $77,420 in the other city.