Senior Software Engineer salary in Boston, MA
Based on 1,136 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Cambridge, Waltham, Burlington, Quincy, Natick.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $147,950 |
| 25th | $154,606 |
| 50th (median) | $159,000 |
| 75th | $172,455 |
| 90th | $193,584 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $118,934 | $111,000 | $130,000 | 1,094 |
| FY2021 | $127,463 | $116,044 | $149,400 | 1,038 |
| FY2022 | $135,000 | $120,640 | $156,816 | 1,169 |
| FY2023 | $143,000 | $132,000 | $160,083 | 758 |
| FY2024 | $153,146 | $140,000 | $170,530 | 678 |
| FY2025 | $159,390 | $150,000 | $173,000 | 633 |
| FY2026 | $159,000 | $154,606 | $170,256 | 503 |
Cost of living
Boston's median senior Software Engineer salary of $159,000 is worth about $146,900 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boston = 108.3).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the Boston, MA area earned a median of $166,090 in May 2025 (42,310 employed). The H-1B median here is $159,000, 4% 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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $172,600 | 79 |
| The MathWorks | $154,606 | 64 |
| Wayfair | $165,000 | 35 |
| Staples | $163,760 | 31 |
| $200,000 | 27 | |
| Salesforce | $203,811 | 24 |
| EY | $208,458 | 23 |
| Akamai Technologies | $162,952 | 23 |
| Wellington Management Company | $165,000 | 23 |
| Klaviyo | $154,606 | 21 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $112,040 | 808 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $133,133 | 2,110 |
| Senior · Level III | $159,000 | 1,136 |
| Expert · Level IV | $182,000 | 1,011 |
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 | $107,557 | $112,040 | 808 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $122,970 | $133,133 | 2,110 |
| Senior · Level III | $154,606 | $159,000 | 1,136 |
| Expert · Level IV | $178,131 | $182,000 | 1,011 |
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.