For a new grad, what is considered a good starting and partnership salary in Mass.
Also I hear that Partnership tracks in MA (at least in coastal, eastern MA)are starting to be difficult to come by.
Starting and partner will be lower than much of the country. Figure mid low-mid two's base to start with everything included (malpractice, health, retirement, tail, whatever else). Highest offer I got in MA was 240 last year. Partnership is different everywhere. But you're not going to get the half-mil partnership offer anywhere. From my interviewing, you'll still make more in private practice than academics, but it's close out here. And the academic gigs can offer so little call you'd forget what it's like.
Here's the caveats: You can make much much more outside of coastal MA. Out west (west of like, Framingham) salaries go up. There's been a job ad out for far western MA for a long time with great pay. But western Mass doesn't have 1) ocean, 2) city. So go figure. Going north will get you more, but you've got to go pretty far to see a difference. Like 4 hours north. And that's a long drive to Fenway. Going south will help as well, a bit. Rhode Island seems to always have a few job ads, but you're still not going to make huge bucks. Once you get to Connecticut I understand there are some great jobs with good cash.
Bottom line is there are pluses and minuses to New England living. Most days the Sox/Pats/Celts, ocean literally out my back door, mountains close by, great food (lobster is $3.99/lb right now) and nice city outweigh the salary, high taxes, terrible drivers, bad traffic, near total darkness in the winter. But your friends that go to Tulsa will make double, yes double what you do.