Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Firefighters actually take home in Massachusetts?
5.0% flat rate — 23.4% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Firefighters earning $72,800 in Massachusetts (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $72,800 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$7,857 | 10.8% |
| Massachusetts State Income Tax | -$3,640 | 5.0% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$4,513 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,055 | 1.4% |
| Total Taxes | -$17,066 | 23.4% |
| Take-Home Pay | $55,733 | 76.6% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Firefighters in Massachusetts.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $49,730 | -$10,274 | $39,455 | 20.7% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $61,800 | -$13,254 | $48,545 | 21.4% |
| Median (P50) | $72,800 | -$17,066 | $55,733 | 23.4% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $80,070 | -$19,585 | $60,484 | 24.5% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $98,130 | -$25,843 | $72,286 | 26.3% |
After federal income tax ($7,857), state tax ($3,640), and FICA ($5,569), a Firefighters in Massachusetts takes home $55,733 per year — or $4,644 per month. The effective tax rate of 23.4% is relatively low compared to the national range.
With an effective total rate of 23.4%, a Firefighters in Massachusetts keeps $55,734 of $72,800 gross — roughly typical for U.S. middle-income earners once federal, FICA and state taxes are combined.
Massachusetts applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Firefighters salary that contributes $3,640 to the 5.0% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Firefighters salary is $7,857 (46%), but combined state ($3,640, 21%) + FICA ($5,569, 33%) make up the other 54% of the bill.
Moving this same Firefighters salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $59,374 net — a gain of $3,640 (6.5%) per year versus Massachusetts.
For Firefighters after-tax pay, Massachusetts ranks #11 of 50 states — top quartile. High gross wages or low state-tax burden (or both) drive the strong ranking.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $55,734 net/year works out to $4,644/month or $2,144/bi-weekly for this Firefighters in Massachusetts — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Firefighters keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Massachusetts ranks #11 out of 50 states for Firefighters after-tax take-home pay.
A Firefighters in Massachusetts earning a median salary of $72,800 will take home approximately $55,733 per year after federal income tax ($7,857), state income tax ($3,640), and FICA ($5,569). That is $4,644 per month or $2,143 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Firefighters in Massachusetts is 23.4%, broken down as: federal income tax 10.8%, Massachusetts state tax 5.0%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.6%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
Massachusetts has a 5.0% flat rate. On a Firefighters's median salary of $72,800, the state income tax amounts to $3,640 per year, which is an effective state rate of 5.0%.
After all taxes, a Firefighters in Massachusetts takes home approximately $4,644 per month, or about $26.80 per hour (based on a standard 2,080-hour work year). These figures assume a single filer, standard deduction, and no additional pre-tax deductions.
We start with the 2025 BLS median salary of $72,800 for Firefighters in Massachusetts, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), Massachusetts state income tax (5.0% flat rate), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $55,733/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
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This estimate assumes a single filer using the 2024 standard deduction ($14,600), with W-2 employment income only. It does not account for: itemized deductions, tax credits (e.g. earned income credit, child tax credit), local/city taxes, pre-tax contributions (401k, HSA, FSA), self-employment tax, or additional income sources. Actual take-home pay may differ. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.
Our Methodology · Data Sources · Salary: BLS OEWS · Tax: IRS + State DOR