Entry-level Data Engineer salary in Boston, MA

Based on 27 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Waltham, Quincy, Cambridge, Burlington, Woburn.

Also listed as: Database Architect, Data Architect

Median salary$117,686
Middle 50%$110k–$130k
vs. all levels here−22%comparison median $150,101
Filings27FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $108,846 and $158,669.
PercentileSalary
10th$109,600
25th$110,000
50th (median)$117,686
75th$130,000
90th$140,200

Salary by year

Median salary

$90k $115k $140k FY2023: median $105,650 (10 filings) FY2024: median $117,250 (10 filings) FY2025: median $112,300 (17 filings) FY2026: median $130,000 (10 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 3 filings FY20 FY2021: 1 filings FY21 FY2022: 6 filings FY22 FY2023: 10 filings FY23 FY2024: 10 filings FY24 FY2025: 17 filings FY25 FY2026: 10 filings FY26 17
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020–––3
FY2021–––1
FY2022–––6
FY2023$105,650$101,239$116,64010
FY2024$117,250$109,250$131,07510
FY2025$112,300$110,000$120,29917
FY2026$130,000$119,515$134,50010

Cost of living

Boston's median entry-level Data Engineer salary of $117,686 is worth about $108,700 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boston = 108.3).

Compared with all workers here

All Database Architects in the Boston, MA area earned a median of $161,650 in May 2025 (2,120 employed). The H-1B median here is $117,686, 27% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Biosalestoo few3
Bright Horizons Children's Centerstoo few3
Deloittetoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $117,686 27
Mid-level · Level II $140,130 68
Senior · Level III $169,243 52
Expert · Level IV $184,998 38

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$108,846$117,68627
Mid-level · Level II$131,685$140,13068
Senior · Level III$154,502$169,24352
Expert · Level IV$184,995$184,99838

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.