Senior Research Scientist (Computer Science) salary in Boston, MA
Based on 67 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Cambridge, North Reading, Burlington, Wellesley, Quincy.
Also listed as: Machine Learning Engineer, AI Researcher
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $178,985 |
| 25th | $185,200 |
| 50th (median) | $195,000 |
| 75th | $215,000 |
| 90th | $235,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $132,000 | $120,000 | $160,000 | 55 |
| FY2021 | $142,000 | $121,846 | $164,250 | 46 |
| FY2022 | $150,000 | $130,178 | $175,000 | 52 |
| FY2023 | $161,632 | $144,758 | $186,220 | 23 |
| FY2024 | $173,927 | $162,000 | $200,515 | 39 |
| FY2025 | $199,722 | $185,536 | $228,450 | 27 |
| FY2026 | $190,000 | $180,000 | $203,350 | 40 |
Cost of living
Boston's median senior Research Scientist (Computer Science) salary of $195,000 is worth about $180,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boston = 108.3).
Compared with all workers here
All Computer and Information Research Scientists in the Boston, MA area earned a median of $170,510 in May 2025 (1,620 employed). The H-1B median here is $195,000, 14% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $185,536 | 22 |
| too few | 6 | |
| Meta | too few | 3 |
| Microsoft | too few | 3 |
| NVIDIA | too few | 3 |
| Intel | too few | 2 |
| Aiscientists | too few | 2 |
| PathAI | too few | 2 |
| Toyota Research Institute (TRI) | 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 | $137,500 | 34 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $174,800 | 147 |
| Senior · Level III | $195,000 | 67 |
| Expert · Level IV | $224,000 | 33 |
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 | $108,722 | $137,500 | 34 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $143,374 | $174,800 | 147 |
| Senior · Level III | $178,006 | $195,000 | 67 |
| Expert · Level IV | $212,659 | $224,000 | 33 |
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.