Expert Software Engineer salary in Worcester, MA
Based on 53 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Worcester, MA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Westborough, Shrewsbury, Milford, Northborough, Webster.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $157,000 |
| 25th | $160,524 |
| 50th (median) | $170,000 |
| 75th | $187,400 |
| 90th | $204,148 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $124,467 | $123,053 | $132,915 | 48 |
| FY2021 | $139,961 | $125,000 | $154,133 | 32 |
| FY2022 | $139,922 | $136,828 | $152,500 | 39 |
| FY2023 | $162,500 | $147,175 | $169,215 | 11 |
| FY2024 | $180,250 | $152,500 | $196,449 | 18 |
| FY2025 | $165,000 | $157,000 | $172,744 | 21 |
| FY2026 | $173,750 | $164,993 | $190,000 | 32 |
Cost of living
Worcester's median expert Software Engineer salary of $170,000 is worth about $165,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Worcester = 102.5).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the Worcester, MA area earned a median of $146,950 in May 2025 (1,800 employed). The H-1B median here is $170,000, 16% 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 | too few | 6 |
| eClinicalWorks | too few | 6 |
| Mapfre | too few | 4 |
| Aetna | too few | 3 |
| CVS Health | too few | 2 |
| Deep Insight Solutions | too few | 2 |
| Waters Technologies | 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 | $112,500 | 74 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $117,000 | 147 |
| Senior · Level III | $147,846 | 73 |
| Expert · Level IV | $170,000 | 53 |
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 | $89,502 | $112,500 | 74 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $116,397 | $117,000 | 147 |
| Senior · Level III | $137,696 | $147,846 | 73 |
| Expert · Level IV | $158,974 | $170,000 | 53 |
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.