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METRO RESEARCH / CBSA 14260

Salary and cost of living in Boise City

Compare occupational wages, regional price levels, housing and travel-to-work indicators across the Boise City, ID metro area.

At a glance

For the Boise City, ID metro area (CBSA 14260), BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity is 98.4 (U.S. = 100). Census ACS 2020–2024 estimates median gross rent at $1,487 per month and a 45+ minute commute share of 9.6% among workers who commute. These are metro estimates, not current asking rents, neighborhood figures or an individual commute forecast.

Sources: BLS wages (May 2025) · BEA price parity (2024) · Census ACS (2020–2024) · metro areas, not city limits · How we calculate

ALL-ITEMS PRICE INDEX98.4U.S. average = 100, BEA 2024
MEDIAN GROSS RENT$1,487/moCensus ACS 2020–2024
45+ MIN COMMUTE SHARE9.6%Non-home commuters, ACS 5-year

How Boise City compares with the other 74 metros

Each measure below is ranked across the 75 curated metros, where 1st means the highest value. A high or low rank describes the number, not whether the metro is a better or worse place to live.

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Boise City context measures
MeasureBoise CityMiddle value of 75 metrosRank (1st = highest)
BEA 2024 all-items price parity (U.S. = 100)98.498.438th of 75
ACS median gross rent per month$1,487$1,43030th of 75
ACS median household income$85,987$83,46031st of 75
ACS share of commuters with 45+ minute trips9.6%13.2%64th of 75

The metros with the closest BEA price parity are Raleigh (98.2), Houston (98.6), Austin (98.1). Similar price levels do not imply similar wages, rents or job markets; compare them with the city comparison pages or the interactive tool.

Where pay ranks highest and lowest in Boise City

For each occupation reported in at least 50 metros, we ranked Boise City’s price-adjusted median against the other metros reporting the same occupation. These ranks compare published medians for one occupation at a time; they are not measures of openings or of how an employer will pay.

Highest relative to other metros

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Boise City highest-ranking occupations
OccupationAdjusted medianRank
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$45,2077th of 75
Retail Salespersons$36,25310th of 75
Electrical Engineers$131,91211th of 73
Personal Financial Advisors$119,38114th of 73
Healthcare Social Workers$75,78915th of 75

Lowest relative to other metros

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Boise City lowest-ranking occupations
OccupationAdjusted medianRank
Web and Digital Interface Designers$59,19272nd of 72
General and Operations Managers$85,04875th of 75
Computer Systems Analysts$82,60974th of 75
Mechanical Engineers$92,83472nd of 74
Computer Network Architects$102,60172nd of 74

Occupation wages in the Boise City metro area

The Boise City, ID metropolitan statistical area spans its officially defined counties. Its published labor, price and housing figures describe the region, not just Boise City city limits or individual neighborhoods. The BLS geographic unit is Boise City, ID (CBSA 14260), rather than the limits of Boise City city. Salary medians cannot be directly compared to a specific employer or neighborhood.

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Largest occupations in Boise City
OccupationAnnual median wageAdjusted median*Employment estimate
General and Operations Managers$83,680$85,04811,270
Customer Service Representatives$46,640$47,4039,460
Retail Salespersons$35,670$36,2539,130
Office Clerks, General$45,860$46,6108,810
Registered Nurses$97,880$99,4818,550
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$44,480$45,2078,030
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers$60,330$61,3176,380
Construction Laborers$47,510$48,2874,700
Light Truck Drivers$44,400$45,1264,360
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks$49,700$50,5134,190
Carpenters$50,850$51,6824,080
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers$77,500$78,7673,500
Show all 80 occupations, alphabetically

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All 80 occupations in Boise City
OccupationAnnual median wageAdjusted median*Employment estimate
Accountants and Auditors$76,700$77,9543,140
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval$94,270$95,812560
Architectural and Civil Drafters$63,160$64,193560
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics$48,630$49,4252,030
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks$49,700$50,5134,190
Carpenters$50,850$51,6824,080
Child, Family, and School Social Workers$59,840$60,819350
Civil Engineers$99,510$101,1371,610
Compliance Officers$72,860$74,051840
Computer Network Architects$100,950$102,601420
Computer Programmers$92,270$93,779Unavailable
Computer Systems Analysts$81,280$82,609810
Computer and Information Systems Managers$161,990$164,6391,140
Construction Laborers$47,510$48,2874,700
Customer Service Representatives$46,640$47,4039,460
Data Scientists$97,950$99,552600
Dental Hygienists$94,650$96,1981,020
Electrical Engineers$129,790$131,912590
Electricians$61,610$62,6182,510
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$102,770$104,451410
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$61,230$62,2312,490
Environmental Engineers$109,350$111,138100
Financial Managers$131,130$133,2741,570
Financial and Investment Analysts$102,200$103,871420
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers$77,500$78,7673,500
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers$47,350$48,1243,100
General and Operations Managers$83,680$85,04811,270
Graphic Designers$55,970$56,885440
Healthcare Social Workers$74,570$75,789410
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers$60,330$61,3176,380
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks$35,170$35,745570
Human Resources Specialists$66,060$67,1402,180
Industrial Engineers$100,840$102,489810
Information Security Analysts$106,020$107,754410
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$44,480$45,2078,030
Lawyers$109,780$111,5751,250
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$66,950$68,045760
Light Truck Drivers$44,400$45,1264,360
Loan Officers$66,450$67,537810
Machinists$60,430$61,418440
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General$48,190$48,9783,160
Management Analysts$86,390$87,8032,180
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists$62,380$63,4002,020
Marketing Managers$159,930$162,545780
Mechanical Engineers$91,340$92,834480
Medical Assistants$46,310$47,0672,360
Medical and Health Services Managers$124,330$126,3631,930
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$63,620$64,660640
Network and Computer Systems Administrators$94,140$95,679510
Nurse Practitioners$132,610$134,779840
Occupational Therapists$98,020$99,623420
Office Clerks, General$45,860$46,6108,810
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$60,930$61,9261,730
Personal Financial Advisors$117,460$119,381370
Pharmacists$150,710$153,175830
Pharmacy Technicians$46,600$47,3621,390
Physical Therapists$100,120$101,757400
Physician Assistants$134,800$137,004650
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$56,940$57,8711,760
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$84,940$86,329950
Project Management Specialists$98,580$100,1923,220
Public Relations Specialists$63,130$64,162610
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$81,640$82,975610
Registered Nurses$97,880$99,4818,550
Respiratory Therapists$78,460$79,743430
Retail Salespersons$35,670$36,2539,130
Sales Managers$141,440$143,7531,270
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products$65,760$66,8353,470
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products$104,430$106,1381,060
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$61,140$62,1402,920
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$45,480$46,2243,380
Software Developers$131,590$133,7423,240
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$102,110$103,780360
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors$61,730$62,7391,580
Technical Writers$75,210$76,440120
Training and Development Specialists$62,210$63,2271,100
Web Developers$79,290$80,587110
Web and Digital Interface Designers$58,240$59,192170
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$50,240$51,0621,400
Writers and Authors$61,650$62,65840

The table lists the 12 occupations with the highest BLS estimated employment in this metro, not an attractiveness ranking; the full list is expandable and its columns can be sorted. The price-adjusted wage equals the BLS May 2025 annual occupational median × 100 ÷ the BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity. Census rent, household income and commuting figures are ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. They describe different populations and do not determine take-home pay, employment prospects or individual rent. ACS gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated utility and fuel costs.

Occupational wage distribution examples

These occupations are selected by the highest BLS estimated employment within our curated career set for this metro—not by pay or predicted demand. Annual wage percentiles are descriptive estimates and can be suppressed independently.

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Occupation / 10th
Occupation10th25thMedian75th90th
General and Operations Managers$42,690$59,010$83,680$129,080$175,000
Customer Service Representatives$31,470$37,440$46,640$51,260$62,400
Retail Salespersons$27,730$29,630$35,670$38,850$49,340
Office Clerks, General$30,450$37,870$45,860$54,130$63,930
Registered Nurses$79,110$81,360$97,880$102,860$124,530
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$31,480$36,570$44,480$45,400$49,630

The employment estimate indicates modeled occupational employment, not current job openings. Missing percentiles remain Unavailable. Each job classification has a different population and wage distribution.

Understanding the local context

BEA reports a 2024 all-items regional price parity of 98.391. It reflects the general price level of goods and services in this metro compared with 100 nationwide. The Census ACS reports median gross rent of $1,487 (MOE ±$27) and median household income of $85,987 (MOE ±$1,175) over 2020–2024.

ACS gross rent includes estimated utilities and is not an asking-rent median. Household income covers all household earnings, so it is not comparable to one worker’s wage. The 45+ minute commute share is 9.6% of workers who travel to work, excluding people who work from home.

Neither the rent nor household-income median exceeds our 30% relative-MOE quality-warning threshold; estimates still have uncertainty.

Using Boise City figures in a real moving budget

The BEA index places the broad metropolitan price level approximately 1.6% below the U.S. reference. At the published ACS median gross rent of $1,487 per month, twelve months of that survey benchmark would total $17,844. This is simple annualization of a survey median, not a current listing price or a budget recommendation.

The 9.6% long-commute share does not tell you how long a trip from a specific neighborhood to a specific employer will take. Gather a real offer and recent rental quotes first, then enter the unadjusted gross offer in the worksheet.

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