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Software Engineer
Boston
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Software Engineer Salary and Equity in Boston 2026

How much does a Software Engineer expect to make at Boston-based startups? The average expected salary for Software Engineers in Boston-based startups is 144k per year, with a range from 100k to 235k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for Software Engineers in Boston startups varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.

144.4k

Average Salary

4 years

Average years of experience

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Salary

By quarter
The average salary for a Software Engineer in Boston is $144,375, which is 18.0% higher than the average Boston startup salary of$122,333. Software Engineer salaries in Boston are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.

Top of market

$204,583/yr

Range $175k - $235k

Average

$144,375/yr

Range $110k - $170k

Below Average

$115,417/yr

Range $100k - $135k


Industries

The highest average salary a Software Engineer in Boston can get in Information Technology, that is $213,500. This pay is 13.5% higher than the average Software Engineer salary in Boston, which is $188,100. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Information Technology (avg $213,500 per year), Infrastructure Monitoring (avg $213,500 per year), Application Performance Monitoring (avg $213,500 per year).

Tech Stack

The highest average salary a Software Engineer in Boston can get with Python, that is $165,000. This pay is 34.9% higher than the average salary in Boston startups, which is $122,333. Salary range for specific skills will vary based on the supply and demand in the current market.
The top-paying Software Engineer skills in Boston of 2026 are:
  • 1. Python

    $165k

  • 2. Node.js

    $162k

  • 3. AWS

    $160k

  • 4. Ruby

    $160k

  • 5. Java

    $150k

  • 6. PostgreSQL

    $150k

  • 7. TypeScript

    $150k

  • 8. Kafka

    $150k

  • 9. Kubernetes

    $147.5k

  • 10. Ruby on Rails

    $135k


Years of experience

Below Average

Average

Top of Market

The highest average salary a Software Engineer in Boston can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $110,000. This pay is 10.1% lower than the average salary in Boston startups, which is $122,333. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.