SOC 21-1093 · Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro

Social and Human Service Assistants Salary in Amherst, MA

The average salary for social and human service assistants in Amherst, Massachusetts is $47,980 a year ($23.07 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $44,900: half of the 240 people in this job in the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($47,690).

$47,980average per year

$23.07 / hourMedian $44,900Take-home ≈ $38,653

  • $40K10th
  • $43K25th
  • $45KMedian
  • $52K75th
  • $61K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

240people in this job
+1%vs U.S. average
#5 of 6Massachusetts metros
100cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Social and Human Service Assistants pay range in Amherst

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,760 a year or less, while the top 10% make $61,050 or more. The middle half of social and human service assistants in Amherst earn between $43,110 and $52,150.

  • $40K10th
  • $43K25th
  • $45KMedian
  • $52K75th
  • $61K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$47,980$3,998$23.07
Median$44,900$3,742$21.59
Entry level (25th percentile)$43,110$3,592$20.73
Experienced (75th percentile)$52,150$4,346$25.07

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Social and Human Service Assistants pay in Amherst vs. Massachusetts and the U.S.

Social and human service assistants in Amherst earn 5% less than the Massachusetts average ($50,430) and about the same as the U.S. average ($47,690). At the median the gap is -2% against the U.S. median of $45,930.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Amherst$47,980$44,900$39,760$61,050240
Massachusetts$50,430$47,130$39,440$63,6709,180
United States$47,690$45,930$34,200$63,290437,860

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Social and Human Service Assistants salary after taxes in Amherst

On the average salary of $47,980, a single filer in Amherst takes home about $38,653 a year, or $3,221 a month and $1,487 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.

Massachusetts paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Amherst a good place for social and human service assistants? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Amherst area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.2), so the average $47,980 buys what about $47,864 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Amherst ($57,030). A typical home costs $363,400, or 7.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $47,980 is worth in another city

Social and Human Service Assistants salary in other Massachusetts cities

Amherst ranks 5th of 6 Massachusetts metro areas for this job; Barnstable pays the most ($51,290).

All Social and Human Service Assistants salaries in Massachusetts

Highest-paying cities for social and human service assistants

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($63,980).

Social and Human Service Assistants salary by city

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Social and Human Service Assistants salary in Amherst: questions

How much do social and human service assistants make an hour in Amherst?

$23.07 an hour on average, and $21.59 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level social and human service assistants salary in Amherst?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,760 a year and the 25th percentile is $43,110, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the social and human service assistants take-home pay in Amherst?

About $38,653 a year ($3,221 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $47,980. Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.

Do social and human service assistants earn more in Amherst than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($47,690).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 21-1093; area Amherst Town-Northampton, MA (11200). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Census median home value (Zillow does not cover this metro). Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.32, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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