Systems Administrator Salary: Boston vs Portland
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇺🇸 Boston
United States
$109K USD
$109K USD
$109K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
VS
USD Difference
+11%
Boston vs Portland
🇺🇸 Portland
United States
$98K USD
$98K USD
$98K PPP
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Boston | Portland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | $109K USD | $98K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $109K | $98K | +11% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $109K 🏆 | $98K | +11% |
| 25th Percentile | $87K USD | $78K USD | — |
| Median | $109K USD | $98K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | $136K USD | $123K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | $117K USD | $106K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Boston offers a Systems Administrator salary of $109K USD, while Portland offers $98K USD — a difference of +11% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Boston's salary is worth $109K in US purchasing power terms, versus $98K for Portland. This means Boston offers better real purchasing power for this role.
PPP adjustment accounts for differences in local prices — for example, housing costs 3x more in San Francisco than in Warsaw, so a San Francisco salary needs to be much higher to provide an equivalent standard of living.