Senior Data Engineer salary in Boston, MA
Based on 52 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Waltham, Quincy, Cambridge, Burlington, Woburn.
Also listed as: Database Architect, Data Architect
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $154,502 |
| 25th | $154,876 |
| 50th (median) | $169,243 |
| 75th | $175,750 |
| 90th | $184,996 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $108,000 | $97,300 | $120,000 | 14 |
| FY2021 | $117,970 | $97,250 | $128,750 | 18 |
| FY2022 | $142,730 | $110,495 | $150,204 | 18 |
| FY2023 | $155,257 | $149,746 | $173,067 | 11 |
| FY2024 | $156,605 | $154,502 | $162,900 | 17 |
| FY2025 | $159,150 | $154,502 | $172,914 | 32 |
| FY2026 | $174,098 | $169,304 | $184,500 | 20 |
Cost of living
Boston's median senior Data Engineer salary of $169,243 is worth about $156,300 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 $169,243, 5% higher.
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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| IBM | too few | 4 |
| Cognizant | too few | 3 |
| McKinsey & Company | too few | 3 |
| Avco Consulting | too few | 3 |
| Chewy | too few | 3 |
| Takeda Pharmaceuticals | too few | 3 |
| Children's Hospital | too few | 2 |
| HealthEdge Software | too few | 2 |
| InterSystems | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| 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 level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $108,846 | $117,686 | 27 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $131,685 | $140,130 | 68 |
| Senior · Level III | $154,502 | $169,243 | 52 |
| Expert · Level IV | $184,995 | $184,998 | 38 |
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.