Salary comparison
Lawyers: Birmingham vs Boston
Boston, MA pays about 7.7% more for lawyers on paper — $183,350 vs $170,230. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Boston comes out ahead by $13,120 a year in real buying power.
Birmingham, AL
$170,230
$100,270
$213,600
$81.84
100
$170,230/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Boston, MA
$183,350
$128,670
$309,920
$88.15
100
$183,350/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $13,120 a year (7.7%) in favor of Boston. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Birmingham runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Boston sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Boston is the better deal by $13,120 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Birmingham to Boston for this role, the raise needs to beat 7.7% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do lawyers earn more, Birmingham or Boston?
Boston pays $183,350 on median — about 7.7% more than Birmingham ($170,230). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Boston. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Boston gives you roughly$183,350 of real buying power versus $170,230 in the other city.