Boston's total job count is nearly flat, but the mix is shifting. Hospitality is adding jobs, trade and transportation are shrinking, and local pay runs above national medians. Here is how to hire in that market.
Boston's total nonfarm jobs moved just +0.2% over the year. Underneath that flat line, the mix changed. Leisure and hospitality grew +2.9%, while Trade, transportation, and utilities pulled back −1.2%. Unemployment fell from 4.4% to 4.1%, close to the U.S. rate of 4.2%. Fewer people are looking, and some of the people who are looking are moving between sectors.
For employers, that means the candidate pool is not growing much. It is reshuffling. Hourly and frontline candidates have options, and local medians for most high-volume roles sit above national medians. Employers who reply first, show pay clearly and make scheduling easy tend to keep candidates in their pipeline.
The tables below cover the labor snapshot, wages for common roles, the industry mix and the hiring rules that apply in Massachusetts and Boston. The notes around them turn the numbers into practical steps for recruiters, hiring managers and operations leaders.
With a labor force of 2.82 million and unemployment at 4.1%, down from 4.4% a year ago, Boston is a market where candidates are harder to find than they were last year. Total jobs at 2.75 million barely moved, so growth in one sector usually means competition for workers from another.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, CES). "Preliminary" figures may be revised. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
| Occupation | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales representatives of services | $24.03 | $40.11 | $78.86 | 25,310 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing | $22.51 | $38.31 | $75.74 | 14,010 |
| Telemarketers | $15.46 | $21.46 | $25.77 | — |
| Customer service representatives | $17.17 | $24.00 | $36.51 | 37,780 |
| Retail salespersons | $16.35 | $17.72 | $23.20 | 64,150 |
| Cashiers | $15.47 | $17.33 | $22.03 | 42,920 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers | $17.88 | $21.92 | $28.28 | 24,030 |
| Fast food and counter workers | $15.16 | $17.45 | $18.96 | 60,130 |
| Janitors and cleaners | $17.15 | $22.38 | $29.12 | 43,160 |
| Sales managers | $51.07 | $99.33 | $155.61 | 11,540 |
Local medians run above national medians across the roles shown. Customer service reps earn $24.00 against $21.53 nationally, and home health and personal care aides earn $22.38 against $17.71. Entry-level roles like cashiers ($17.33) and food prep workers ($17.45) sit just above the state minimum of $15.00, so small pay differences can decide where a candidate applies.
613,700 jobs · 22.4% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Private education and health services holds 22.4% of jobs and grew +0.7%, so expect steady competition for aides, medical assistants and childcare staff, and keep a standing pipeline instead of opening reqs one at a time.
502,000 jobs · 18.3% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Professional and business services slipped −1.0%, which may free up experienced contact-center, sales and admin candidates who can move into customer-facing roles in other sectors.
385,600 jobs · 14.0% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Trade, transportation, and utilities fell −1.2%, the sharpest pullback among the top sectors, so warehouse, driver and retail candidates may be more available, but employers still hiring there should move fast before they shift to other sectors.
300,200 jobs · 10.9% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Leisure and hospitality grew +2.9%, the fastest among the top sectors, so servers, cooks, housekeepers and front-desk staff are in high demand and slow hiring processes will lose candidates.
176,500 jobs · 6.4% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Financial activities declined −1.0% and holds 6.4% of jobs, so tellers and claims staff with customer service experience may be open to roles in healthcare administration or contact centers.
Private education and health services is the largest sector at 22.4% of jobs and is still growing. Leisure and hospitality is growing fastest, while trade, professional services and financial activities are contracting. That shift is releasing workers you may be able to recruit.
The table summarizes state and Boston rules on background checks, fair chance hiring, minimum wage, non-competes and pay transparency. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with the relevant state or city agency or your own counsel before changing your hiring process.
Massachusetts bars employers from asking about arrests without conviction, sealed or expunged records, first-offense minor misdemeanors, and misdemeanors more than three years old.
Source: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 151B, Section 4 (Massachusetts Legislature) · checked October 15, 2026Massachusetts bars covered employers from requesting criminal offender record information on the initial written job application, with narrow exceptions for legally disqualifying offenses.
Source: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 151B, Section 4 (Massachusetts Legislature) · checked October 15, 2026Massachusetts' statewide minimum wage is $15.00 an hour, with a $6.75 minimum cash wage for tipped service employees.
Source: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 151, Section 1 (Massachusetts Legislature) · checked October 15, 2026The Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act makes non-competes enforceable only if they meet strict requirements, and bars them for non-exempt workers, students, laid-off or terminated-without-cause employees, and workers 18 or younger.
Source: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 149, Section 24L (Massachusetts Legislature) · checked October 15, 2026Massachusetts employers with 25 or more employees in the state must disclose the pay range in job postings and give it to employees on request or on promotion or transfer.
Source: Massachusetts Acts of 2024, Chapter 141 (Massachusetts Legislature) · checked October 15, 2026Boston's CORI ordinance sets criminal-record screening standards for companies that work with the City, rather than for all private employers.
Boston's Jobs, Living Wage and Prevailing Wage Ordinance requires a $19.36 hourly living wage, effective July 1, 2026, only for workers on city service contracts and subcontracts of $25,000 or more.
Full detail on the state rules is on the Massachusetts hiring page.
General information, not legal advice.
Employment rules change and have exceptions that depend on employer size, industry and facts. This summary reflects the sources shown as of the dates shown (legal sources checked October 15, 2026). Confirm requirements with the relevant agency or qualified counsel before acting.
Unemployment dropped from 4.4% to 4.1%, so frontline candidates have more choices than they did a year ago. Send a text acknowledgment as soon as someone applies and offer a next step in the same message. A candidate who hears back first is more likely to show up for the interview.
Services sales reps range from $24.03 to $78.86 an hour, a spread driven by commission and performance pay. Candidates cannot judge a job from a single big number. List the base, explain how commission works and give a realistic typical figure. Covered employers already need to post a pay range under state pay transparency rules, so make that range easy to understand.
Leisure and hospitality is growing +2.9% while total jobs are flat. Restaurants and hotels hiring several servers, cooks or housekeepers at once should run those openings as one batch. Message, screen and move applicants in groups, and use automated reminders so interview slots fill and no-shows drop.
Trade, transportation and utilities fell −1.2%, and professional services and financial activities also shrank. Workers from those sectors bring customer service, logistics and sales skills. Segment past applicants and talent pools by experience and send targeted outreach for roles where those skills transfer.
Private education and health services is the largest sector at 22.4% and still growing. Aides and clinic staff often work shifts and cannot take calls during the day. Let them book interviews themselves, screen by phone outside office hours and confirm everything by text.
Boston's flat job count and falling unemployment mean employers compete for the same candidates, often across sectors. ATS Mako's two-way SMS inbox and automations let recruiters reply to applicants quickly and trigger follow-ups on status changes. For hospitality and healthcare openings, bulk actions let teams message and move large groups of candidates at once. Self-service interview scheduling with calendar sync and automated reminders lets shift workers book a time without phone tag. Together these features help hiring teams keep candidates moving through each step.
Local medians run above national medians for most high-volume roles. Customer service reps earn a median of $24.00, home health aides $22.38 and cashiers $17.33. The state minimum wage is $15.00, with a lower cash wage allowed for tipped service employees. Use the wage table to see where your offer falls between the low and high percentiles.
Massachusetts requires employers that meet the state's in-state headcount threshold to disclose the pay range in job postings and to give it to employees on request or on promotion or transfer. Check whether your organization is covered with the state agency or your counsel. Even if you are not covered, clear pay ranges help candidates decide to apply.
Massachusetts bars covered employers from requesting criminal offender record information on the initial written application, with narrow exceptions for legally disqualifying offenses. The state also limits questions about arrests without conviction, sealed or expunged records and certain misdemeanors. Boston's CORI ordinance applies to companies that work with the City. This is general information, so confirm your process with counsel.
Texting is a common and effective way to reach hourly candidates, but get their opt-in consent before you send messages. Include a simple way to opt out and honor STOP replies right away. Keep messages short and relevant to their application.
Leisure and hospitality is growing +2.9%, so demand for servers, cooks and housekeepers is strong. Run openings as a batch: capture applicants on one apply page, screen in groups and send interview invites and reminders in bulk. Fast replies matter because candidates often apply to several employers at once.
The Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act bars non-competes for non-exempt workers, students, laid-off or terminated-without-cause employees and younger workers. Agreements that are allowed must meet strict requirements. Review any agreement with counsel before using it.
Sources and data currency
Labor data as of August 2026; wage data May 2025; rules checked October 15, 2026. Next scheduled review: January 15, 2027. This page is educational market information for employers.
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