Healthcare Jobs in Boston, MA
Healthcare is Boston's signature industry, anchored by the hospitals of the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Mass General in the West End and Boston Medical Center in the South End. Here are current openings, followed by who is hiring, what it pays and how to get started.
Current healthcare Openings in Boston, MA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Healthcare Work in Boston
Few American cities lean on healthcare the way Boston does. In May 2025, healthcare practitioners and technical workers made up 6.8% of all jobs in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro, above the 6.3% national share, and they averaged $59.87 an hour against $52.26 nationally, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Most of that work sits in a few dense clusters. The Longwood Medical and Academic Area, reached by the Green Line E branch and Brookline Avenue, packs Boston Children's, Beth Israel Deaconess, the Brigham and Dana-Farber into a few blocks. Mass General runs the West End campus by the Charles/MGH Red Line stop, Boston Medical Center anchors the South End, and Tufts Medical Center sits in Chinatown on the Orange Line. The VA runs campuses in Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury. The map shifted after the Steward Health Care collapse: Carney Hospital in Dorchester closed in 2024, and St. Elizabeth's in Brighton now operates as BMC Brighton under Boston Medical Center Health System.
Top Boston Employers Hiring Healthcare Workers
These health systems run full-time hiring for nurses, technicians and support staff inside city limits:
- Mass General Brigham - the system behind Mass General in the West End and Brigham and Women's in Longwood hires nurses, techs and support staff across its Boston campuses.
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - the Beth Israel Lahey Health flagship posts dozens of nursing roles on its Longwood East and West campuses, from the ED to the NICU.
- Boston Children's Hospital - the Longwood Avenue pediatric hospital hires nurses and clinical staff and publishes pay ranges on its postings.
- Boston Medical Center - the 567-bed South End safety-net hospital hires across nursing, radiology and pharmacy, with a union workforce.
- Tufts Medical Center - the Chinatown academic hospital hires nurses for its ED, operating rooms, transplant and labor and delivery units.
- VA Boston Healthcare System - the federal system hires nurses and clinical staff for its Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury campuses through USAJobs.
Healthcare Salaries in Boston
- Support and entry roles: roughly $20 to $25 an hour; healthcare support workers in metro Boston averaged $22.69 in May 2025.
- Licensed clinical staff: about $40 to $60 an hour; Boston Children's posts registered nurse pay starting near $40.60 an hour, and practitioners across the metro averaged $59.87.
- Senior and top-step staff: $90 to $105+ an hour for top-step union nurses at Boston Medical Center and Brigham and Women's.
These are estimates. Pay moves with license level, union scale, shift and specialty. Many Boston hospital workers are covered by union contracts, such as the Massachusetts Nurses Association at the Brigham and 1199SEIU at Boston Medical Center, which set step raises and night, evening and weekend differentials.
How to Start a Healthcare Career in Boston
There is no single healthcare license; the path depends on the role. Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses are licensed by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing after finishing a board-approved program and passing the NCLEX. Local options include the associate degree nursing programs at Bunker Hill Community College in Charlestown and Roxbury Community College, the practical nursing and associate programs at Quincy College, and bachelor's programs at UMass Boston's Manning College of Nursing at Columbia Point, Northeastern, Simmons and MCPHS in Longwood. Many hospital support jobs, such as patient transport, dietary and environmental services, are filled without a license and trained on the job.
What the Job Involves
Healthcare work covers bedside care, diagnostics, pharmacy, scheduling and the support services that keep a hospital running around the clock. Clinical staff assess patients, give medications and treatments, run imaging and lab tests, and document care in the electronic record. Support staff move patients, prepare meals, clean and turn over rooms, and manage registration and billing. Most hospital roles run 8 or 12 hour shifts.
Skills Employers Look For
- A current Massachusetts license or certification for licensed roles
- BLS certification from the American Heart Association
- Electronic health record experience
- Clear communication with patients and families, including second-language skills
- Comfort with rotating shifts, weekends and holidays
- Infection control and patient safety habits
Career Path and Advancement
Boston rewards people who climb inside one system. Support staff often move into patient care or technician roles, then use employer tuition benefits to finish a nursing degree at Bunker Hill, Roxbury or UMass Boston. Licensed nurses advance up union step scales, into charge and specialty roles, and on to nurse practitioner programs at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in the Charlestown Navy Yard, Northeastern, Simmons or Boston College.
Related Careers in Boston
If healthcare interests you, start with this Boston guide:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to work in healthcare in Boston?
Only for licensed roles. Nurses are licensed by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, while many support jobs such as patient transport, dietary and environmental services require no license and train on the job.
How much do healthcare jobs pay in Boston?
Healthcare support workers in metro Boston averaged $22.69 an hour in May 2025, and practitioners and technical workers averaged $59.87. Registered nurses start around $40 an hour at the big teaching hospitals, and top-step union nurses earn $90 to $105 or more.
Where are most hospital jobs in Boston?
The Longwood Medical and Academic Area holds the largest cluster, with Boston Children's, Beth Israel Deaconess, the Brigham and Dana-Farber within a few blocks. Mass General in the West End, Boston Medical Center in the South End and Tufts Medical Center in Chinatown are the other big employers, all close to the T.
Are Boston hospital jobs unionized?
Many are. The Massachusetts Nurses Association represents nurses at Brigham and Women's, and 1199SEIU represents nurses and service workers at Boston Medical Center and its Brighton and Brockton hospitals. Union contracts set step raises and shift differentials.
Can I use my nursing license from another state in Boston?
Not directly. Massachusetts does not take part in the Nurse Licensure Compact and does not issue temporary licenses, so nurses licensed elsewhere apply for a Massachusetts license through the Board of Registration in Nursing before they start.
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