Salary comparison
Sales Managers: Boston vs Durham
Boston, MA pays about 8.5% more for sales managers on paper — $206,610 vs $190,370. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Boston comes out ahead by $16,240 a year in real buying power.
Boston, MA
$206,610
$153,940
$253,490
$99.33
100
$206,610/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Durham, NC
$190,370
$122,560
$268,570
$91.52
100
$190,370/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $16,240 a year (8.5%) in favor of Boston. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Boston runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Durham sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Boston is the better deal by $16,240 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Durham to Boston for this role, the raise needs to beat 8.5% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do sales managers earn more, Boston or Durham?
Boston pays $206,610 on median — about 8.5% more than Durham ($190,370). 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$206,610 of real buying power versus $190,370 in the other city.