COMPENSATION

Salary Plans 

When you applied through our Career Center, you likely noticed there is a minimum and maximum salary for each position posted. These are based on salary plans.

Understanding your salary plan is essential to know how you will be paid for the work you do. They are all available online at boston.gov/departments/human-resources/salary-information-city-boston-jobs.

When you look at your salary plan, you will see the following:

• Salary Plan Code is the shorthand, one-to three-character code for the union or non-union job category.

• Grade is the level of expertise the position requires in relation to other jobs that do comparable work within the City or department. "Comparable work" is work that requires similar skill, effort, and responsibility, and is performed under similar working conditions.

• Step is the amount of experience the individual has in doing the job, and/or to account for job-related differences in education, training, or experience

HOW THE STEP SYSTEM WORKS

New employees usually start at step 1, unless you have more than the required education, training, or experience. Generally, you move to the next step in the salary plan each year on the anniversary of your hiring date. This stops after you reach the maximum step level in that grade.

Deductions

All employees are required to complete a W-4 form to provide the City with essential information about their tax withholding preferences. Your take-home pay will vary accordingly.  

You should review your paycheck regularly to ensure accuracy and report any issues to your Departmental HR team. 

MANDATORY DEDUCTIONS

A mandatory deduction is a deduction from an individual's income that is required by law or company policy. In other words, it is compulsory, and the employer is obligated to withhold these amounts from the employee's paycheck. 

Mandatory deductions include, but are not limited to:

• Federal income tax 

• State income tax 

• The State/Boston Retirement Plan 

• Union dues (when applicable and if authorized) 

• Federal Insurance Contributions Act/Medicare 

VOLUNTARY DEDUCTIONS

A voluntary deduction, as the name suggests, is a deduction made from an employee's earnings based on their explicit authorization or request. Employees have the option to choose whether they want these deductions to be taken from their paychecks.

Voluntary deductions may include:

• Health Insurance 

• Life Insurance 

• Deferred Compensation 

• Credit Union 

• Charitable Deductions 

• Flexible Spending 

• MBTA Pass

Retirement

The City of Boston does not participate in the Social Security system as private employers do. Rather, you become a member of the Boston Retirement System (BRS) upon getting hired. BRS offers a pension plan—a type of governmental defined benefit retirement plan.

When you become a member, the City creates an Annuity Savings Account for you. We contribute money from your paycheck plus any interest to your account. 

Each year, you will contribute 9% of your salary (plus an additional 2% of your salary over $30,000). Special rules apply if you are concurrently employed by two or more governmental units which have established contributory retirement systems.

You'll become vested after 10 years of active public service with the City of Boston. That entitles you to your benefits when you retire. You may not refund the money you have contributed unless you terminate service before retirement.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

A Flexible Spending Account (FSA), also known as a Flexible Savings Account, is a special type of account that allows you to set aside money from your paycheck before taxes to pay for certain eligible expenses. You decide how much money you want to contribute to the FSA for the year, and that amount is deducted from your paycheck before taxes are taken out. It's like a piggy bank that you can use for specific health care or dependent care costs, and by using it, you can save money on taxes. 

New hires may complete the FSA Enrollment Authorization Form and submit it to CPA, Inc. within 30 days of your date of hire. All eligible employees are given the opportunity to enroll annually during the enrollment period in November. 

City of Boston Credit Union

The City of Boston Credit Union is a financial institution that provides banking and financial services to individuals and businesses within the City of Boston community. It operates as a member-owned cooperative, where customers who become members have a stake in the credit union's operations. 

The credit union serves a broad spectrum of individuals, including city employees, their families, and residents of Boston. It offers various financial products and services, such as savings and checking accounts, loans, mortgages, credit cards, and online banking. The City of Boston Credit Union aims to foster community-based financial support and to provide its members with accessible and tailored banking solutions, often with a focus on serving the unique needs of its local members.

You can find additional information about the City of Boston Credit Union online at cityofbostoncu.com. 

Annual Leave Buy Back Program

Through our Annual Leave Buy Back Program, eligible employees may have the opportunity to redeem up to five (5) days of unused sick and/or vacation time and be paid for those hours at your hourly rate. Eligible employees are notified via email when the opportunity to participate becomes available each year.

While the Leave Buy Back option is available to eligible employees, you should continue to utilize sick leave to address any health concerns or missed work for absences due to illness. If you have any questions about utilizing sick leave, please refer to the City’s Attendance Policy or reach out to your department’s HR Manager/Personnel Officer. 

Sick Leave Redemption Upon Separation

Visit this page to learn more.